


forest of ravens

by Dawnlightsilhouette



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Forests, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ravens, Teenage Ciel Phantomhive, other forest animals, student Ciel Phantomhive, witch Sebastian Michaelis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:21:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 27,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25844230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnlightsilhouette/pseuds/Dawnlightsilhouette
Summary: Ciel just moved to a small town next to a forest with his parents. By chance he meets Sebastian, a weird man who lives in the forest with a big bunch of ravens, several wolves and three cats. Sebastian is somehow odd but Ciel still lets him be his friend and they fall in love. Over time Ciel realizes, that weird things happen around him. It's almost as if Sebastian could use witchcraft...
Relationships: Sebastian Michaelis/Ciel Phantomhive
Comments: 53
Kudos: 227





	1. first meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This will probably not contain any actual existing spells or rituals. I apologize to any actual witches who read this and don't find it accurate.
> 
> Shout out to Chromehoplite who gave me the motivation to start writing this.

Frustrated, Ciel kicked a stone away as he walked down the path through the forest. He didn't like it here at all. Not here as in the forest but as in the fact that his parents and him had moved to the small town next to the forest. He didn't make friends and at school he was teased and ridiculed for his bi-colored eyes. The forest here was the only thing he liked about the new place so far. He liked the nature and enjoyed the fresh forest air, which was filled with the woody smell of the trees and the earthy aroma of the moss-covered ground. The sunlight shone through the dense treetops onto the ground and formed patterns on the leaves of the plants. Ciel was walking down a small path that was rarely used by people. Ciel followed the path until it came to a small river. Distracted by the glitter of the water, Ciel didn't notice that a root was sticking out in front of him. He stumbled and fell into the river. 

Ciel kicked around and gasped for air. The water was surprisingly cold and much deeper than he would have guessed. Ciel panicked because he wasn't a very good swimmer, but before he could completely sink down, someone grabbed him under the arms and pulled him up. Ciel coughed and breathed quickly, clinging to his savior as if he would never want to let go again. He was held by strong arms and carried to the bank of the river, where he was set down on a large, flat stone. Ciel pulled up his knees and wrapped his arms around himself. He was soaking wet and felt so cold that he shivered heavily despite the sunny weather. "Are you all right?", he heard a deep voice ask and the next second his rescuer put a shirt around his shoulders. When Ciel looked up, he found that the most handsome man he could only imagine was sitting on the ground across from him. He was tall and muscular as could be seen from the fact that he had taken off his shirt before jumping into the river to fish Ciel out. Said shirt was big enough for Ciel to wrap himself up in it, which he did, mostly because he was cold, but also hoping to hide the blush on his cheeks. The man brushed a few strands of his raven black hair from his beautiful face and leaned closer to Ciel to be able to look at him very closely. Although he was sitting on the floor and Ciel on a large rock, they were at eye level, which gave an impression of how much taller than Ciel he was. His eyes were almond-shaped and appeared to be dark red. Ciel was somehow caught in his gaze. When the stranger carefully placed a hand on Ciel's cheek, he was so flustered that he couldn't utter a word.

The man frowned and brushed the hair out off Ciel's face. “You got very cold. If you walk all the way back to town, you will definitely catch a cold. I think you'd best come to my house. I'll lend you some clothes and make you some tea.”, he suggested and picked Ciel up without waiting for an answer. Ciel blushed even more as he was carried through the woods bridal style by the handsome stranger. On the way, Ciel tried to get a better impression of him and examined him closely. The man had longer hair than other people would consider masculine, but not long enough to reach his shoulders. It was thick and black and at least one strand always fell into his face. Ciel's fingers itched to touch it, but he pulled himself together. Instead, he let his gaze slide over the man's arms. They were very strong, Ciel weighed nothing for this man, and he was a bit tattooed. Connected by black tendrils, Ciel could see different animal figures on his arms, such as for example a wolf and a bat, and he had a pentagram on the back of his left hand. His fingers were relatively long and thin, and the fingernails were black. The man wore worn jeans, was barefoot (his toenails were also black) and carried a leather bag over his shoulder, the shirt he had given Ciel was dark blue and black checked.

The man carried Ciel quickly and unerringly through the forest, whether he was following a certain path could not be seen, the ground was covered with moss. Ciel wanted to ask where exactly they were going, but then he noticed that they had already arrived. At first Ciel hadn't noticed the house, because it was covored with moss and climbing plants and was at no distance from the trees around it. The walls were made of stone and it blended in perfectly with its surroundings. There were plenty of ravens sitting around on the roof and in the trees around, a few of them seemed to be watching them. On the porch there was a wooden rocking chair next to a small table and there was a hammock in which a black cat had curled up. A second striped cat ran towards the man when he wennt through the front door. The man greeted them with a murmur, but did not stop, but walked up a short flight of stairs and carried Ciel straight into the bedroom. The room wasn't that big, but it was big enough to accommodate a king-size bed and a closet. From the window you could see directly into the branches of a tree and Ciel noticed a bird's nest. The man sat Ciel down on his bed and opened the closet. He took out a towel and handed it to Ciel. "Here. You can choose a few clothes after you dried yourself. Doesn't matter which. In the meantime I'll go to the kitchen.", he said, smiled at Ciel and left the room.

Ciel sighed. He must have gone mad to just let a stranger carry him around in the forest. Still, he dried himself off with the towel and got out of his wet clothes. Then he looked in the closet. Apparently the stranger had a whole collection of button up shirts, regardless of whether they were flannel shirts or plain black or white. In general, black was apparently his favorite color. Ciel didn't want to poke around too much. It would be impolite. He just grabbed a black sweater, that's all he needed. The piece was big enough to cover his knees, he could curl up in it. Ciel found a pair of socks too, put them on, and then left the room. He didn't know exactly where the kitchen was, but the house wasn't big enough to get lost in. Ciel went down the stairs and was now apparently in the living room. A wine-red leather couch and a matching armchair stood in front of a fireplace. Next to an open window, in the frame of which a raven sat and cleaned his feathers, stood a large table on which a laptop, a mortar, a book and lots of bundles of herbs were scattered. There were also a few bundles of herbs on the walls and a candlestick here and there. Ciel went through a door that led from the living room to the back of the house and came into a short hallway with three more doors. The one across from him stood open and Ciel went through it. As he had assumed, he was now in the kitchen, which was impressively large. There were many more bundles of herbs here, they hung from the walls and the ceiling, on the shelves there were lots of jars with all sorts of things in them and a number of books. 

The stranger stood at the large table in the middle, placing a steaming tea pot, two cups, and a plate of biscuits on a tray. Next to him the window was wide open and two ravens sat in its frame. A third crouched on the stranger's shoulder and a fourth stalked around on the table. When the fourth saw Ciel, he croaked and fluttered towards him, but a hissing from the black-haired man apparently made him change his mind. He flew a circle and finally landed on the man's outstretched hand. "Sorry, he just wanted to say hello. Don't worry.", the man explained as if it were the most normal thing in the world. He put the raven back on the table, then took the tray and went, followed by Ciel, into the living room. The raven on his shoulder flew away as the black-haired man sat down on the sofa and poured tea. As he leaned over the small coffee table, Ciel saw that he had a sentence in Latin tattooed on his back. He hadn't put on a shirt yet. When Ciel sat down, the stranger handed him a mug, then got a blanket and put it around Ciel. 

"Uh... Raven Man?", Ciel asked when the black-haired man sat down next to him again and straightened the blanket. He looked up in irritation. "Nobody has called me that before.", he said, surprised. Ciel looked down embarrassed. "You didn't introduce yourself.", he justified himself. "Oh yes. My name is Sebastian. I am Sebastian Michaelis, the owner of this forest. A pleasure to meet you.", he said and held out his hand to Ciel. Ciel gave him his own and to his surprise Sebastian didn't shake it, but instead pressed a gentle kiss onto Ciel's knuckle. Sebastian lowered his hand back down and did not let go of Ciel's. "Will you tell me your name too?", he asked with a smile. Ciel looked down and hoped he didn't blush as much as he feared. “My name is Ciel. Ciel Phantomhive.", he explained quietly. Sebastian's free hand took his chin and he gently brought him to look at him again. "Tell me, Ciel, why does a young beauty like you stumble into a river far away from the official forest paths?", Sebastian asked. So Ciel started talking. Sebastian was a good listener and before Ciel knew it, he had told him all about the move and his problems with getting used to it. 

Lost in thought, Sebastian caressed Ciel's hand. "I understand. If you'll allow me to say so, I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself. You don't have to deal with everything right away. It is normal that it takes time to settle in in a strange place.", he said finally. Ciel nodded. "I guess you're right.", he muttered. The warmth, the relaxing tea and Sebastian's caring way made him feel that everything was half as bad. He could even bring himself to smile a little. Sebastian smiled back wider. "If you want to talk again, you are welcome to come to me.", he said and squeezed Ciel's hand so incredibly carefully, as if he were afraid he might break it. Indeed, he probably could. Finally Ciel's clothes were dry, so he changed again and let Sebastian lead him to the edge of the forest, where the two said goodbye to each other. When Ciel went home he was in a good mood for the first time since moving.


	2. ravens and wolves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to forest raven and wolf sounds on youtube while writing this. That atmosphere is so cool.

A few days later, Ciel wanted to visit Sebastian again. It was a foggy day and a short time after Ciel had entered the forest, he had lost his orientation. He could only see a few meters far around him and the trees and the ground covered with moss and ferns, as beautiful as everything was, looked the same to him everywhere. He just went straight through the forest and tried at least to find the approximate direction to Sebastian's house. The fog was cool and seemed like a thick blanket on the nature, which made Ciel feel as if his everyday life and his worries were far behind him. As if he were wandering through another world. The further he went into the forest, the more often and closer he could hear the cawing of ravens and the flapping of their wings. It got louder over time and soon Ciel couldn't tell from which direction it was coming. It seemed to be all around him.

When Ciel finally stopped and looked up, he found that the tall pine trees around him were full of ravens. It looked as if there was no branch without a raven. They hopped back and forth a bit, croaking at each other and watching Ciel from above. Although it looked pretty scary, Ciel wasn't afraid. He had seen that Sebastian was very relaxed with them and that they had swarmed around his house, so he suspected that it all meant that Sebastian's house was nearby. He walked slowly on, the ravens following him. They fluttered ahead of him from tree to tree, each time turning to Ciel to see if he was keeping up. Some ravens landed on the ground and hopped in front of or around Ciel. 

After a while, Ciel stopped dead in his tracks. Another sound mingled with the cawing and fluttering of the ravens. It came from a distance but it was loud and pierced through the air. A deep, drawn out howl that made Ciel tremble. It sounded like a wolf and the next moment more voices joined the howl. Ciel stood completely still but the ravens didn't seem to care about the howling at all. They bounced and fluttered around just as they did before, even a little more urgently because Ciel had stopped. Ciel wasn't sure what to do, but he wasn't going to find his way back anyway, so he walked on a little more slowly and threw nervous looks around while he let the ravens lead him. The howling of the wolves faded away before it rose again. Ciel heard a deep voice particularly well, it started the common howling over and over again. Before long, Ciel noticed that the ravens were leading him towards the howl.

Ciel became more and more hesitant as he walked through the foggy forest, but when he finally reached the edge of a small clearing, all tension fell off of from him. Sebastian knelt in the middle of the clearing in the dewy grass. He had leaned his head back and formed his hands in front of his mouth and let out a howl that made the wolves around him howl along. A whole pack of big dark wolves lay around him in the grass and every time they joined into his howl. Sebastian wore a gray cardigan on the back of which the outline of a wolf was sewn over his black shirt, matching his company perfectly. In addition he wore a pair of jeans and a pair of black boots, as well as a leather string around his neck on which a silver coin with an engraved triskel hung. A smile formed on Ciel's face as he looked at Sebastian and listened to him. It was like he was part of the pack. The ravens spread out in the trees around the clearing and croaked a little more quietly. 

Sebastian suddenly stopped howling and looked in Ciel's direction. A smile spread across his face and he spread his arms. “How nice to see you again. Come here. I'm singing with the children of the night, you're welcome company.", he called to Ciel and the wolves wagged their tails as if to confirm. Still a little nervous, Ciel walked slowly through the wolves. They were really big, much bigger than dogs, but they were perfectly calm and let Ciel pass without seeming tense at all. Sometimes one of them sniffed Ciel's hand but otherwise they let him go completely unhindered to Sebastian, next to whom he sank to the floor. Sebastian hugged Ciel and pulled him onto his lap. “You've already cooled down again. It's just not the friendliest weather, is it. Here.“, he said, took off his jacket and put it around Ciel. Then he whistled to the wolves and they came closer to the two of them. They settled close enough to shield Ciel from the cold of the fog. 

Sebastian stretched out his arms and pet their soft fur. “Don't worry, they won't harm you. Be it only because you are with me. Many of them were raised by me.”, Sebastian explained. Ciel looked at him in surprise. “You raised the wolves? The ravens too?”, he asked astonished. "Many of them. I take care of all the animals here in the forest, after all, it's my forest, so I have a pretty good relationship with all of them. But I get along best with the ravens.", Sebastian explained and let a hand stroke along Ciel's cheek. "You are still cold.", he stated unsatisfied, lifted Ciel into his arms and stood up. The wolves rose too and followed Sebastian to his house. They sat down on the porch while Sebastian carried Ciel inside.


	3. cats

Like last time, Sebastian made a pot of tea for them and wrapped Ciel in a blanket. They sat together on the sofa and Sebastian's cats joined them. As it turned out, he had three cats. Ciel had already seen the black and the striped ones, now a gray one joined these two. They settled down around Ciel and licked his hands as calmly as if he were one of them. Ciel kept trying to push them away while he was talking to Sebastian, but that was of no use, they kept coming back. Fortunately, they did not lose enough hair to cause Ciel breathing problems. And after Ciel told Sebastian that he had problems with cat hair because of his asthma, Sebastian plucked them off of him, despite the protests of the cats.

Ciel shook his head slightly. “What is it about your animals that they like me so much? Do they do this to everyone? Or do I just smell of you?“, he wanted to know and pointed to Sebastian's cardigan, which he was still wearing, when he asked the last question. To his surprise, Sebastian leaned over to him and rubbed his nose against Ciel's neck and hair. “No, you smell like yourself. But maybe they're just so curious because normally nobody visits us. If someone wants something from me, they'll wait until the next time I come to the village to go shopping or something.”, Sebastian explained to the blushing boy. "Aha.", Ciel muttered. “Oh, speaking of going to the village. My parents plan to have a garden party next weekend. To get to know the neighbors better, they say. A lot of people are invited and of course I'm supposed be there too, even though it will probably be boring for me or maybe even uncomfortable. Depending on who comes. Anyway, I thought you are a neighbor of ours too, so I wanted to invite you to come too.", Ciel told him.

Sebastian frowned in thoughts. He leaned over to the small table next to the sofa and put his mug down, taking a look at the cards lying there. "I see.", he muttered, more to himself, and leaned back again. At first Ciel had thought the cards were normal game cards, but when he looked more closely, he noticed that they were a bit bigger and showed colorful, drawn pictures. Next to the deck of cards there were three cards lying next to each other. The first showed a young man with a cloak and a lantern walking through a dark forest. The second card had a couple on it who toasted each other with goblets. And on the third card there was a crowd of people who seemed to be celebrating. There was something medieval about all of the pictures. “I don't really like socializing, but I think I can at least have a look at it all. And be it just to keep you company.", Sebastian said.

Ciel looked up in surprise. “You would do something for me that you don't like doing? You don't have to come, it was just a suggestion.", he said, but Sebastian waved him off. "That is okay. I don't think it's bad. I can take a look at your parents and see what kind of house you live in and how other people treat you. And besides, I would do a lot of things for you.", Sebastian explained and picked up his mug. As he drank from it, Ciel frowned and thought for a moment. "That doesn't make sense.", he said finally. Sebastian looked at him confused. "Not?", he asked, puzzled. Ciel shook his head. “We hardly know each other, so it doesn't make sense that you would do anything for me. You don't owe me anything, we're not friends. Why should you do a lot of things for me?", Ciel asked. Sebastian let his gaze wander to the floor and tapped the rim of his mug, lost in thought, as if he had to think first. Meanwhile, one of the cats stretched out on his lap. 

When Sebastian's gaze fell on the cat he couldn't help but smile brightly and he turned back to Ciel. "Because you're like a cat.", he said cheerfully, as if that were a first-class reason. Ciel blinked, speechless. “I keep these cats as pets. I feed them, give them a place to sleep and I look after them, take care of their wounds if they have any and cuddle them, but otherwise let them do what they want. In return, I don't get anything back. At most a dead mouse that they proudly present to me. That's all. So why do I keep these cats when it's not gaining me anything? Because I want to have cats. I enjoy their presence. It's the same with you. Why shouldn't I do something for you? If I do something for you, I can enjoy the fact that you are fine and you will come to the conclusion that it is worthwhile to please me with your presence. So it's worth it for me in any case. You're like a cat.", Sebastian explained, still smiling happily.

Ciel lowered his gaze and thought about what he had said. It kind of made sense. But only a little bit. Ciel sighed and shrugged. "Fine, if you think so. Even though I myself I think you're a little weird.", he muttered, which made Sebastian laugh. "If I got some money for every time I was called weird, I would be rich.", he said. "Oh really? I can't imagine.", Ciel replied jokingly and couldn't help smileíng too. Then he held out his empty mug to Sebastian. Sebastian took it and his own and filled them both with tea. Then he handed his mug back to Ciel, toasted to him and drank the tea.


	4. garden party

Ciel glanced nervously through the curtains. His room was on the first floor and he had a direct view of the garden that surrounded the house he had recently moved into with his parents. It was a warm Saturday morning and his father had bought a grill that he was now a little overwhelmed with. They used to live in an apartment complex in the big city and now that they lived in a rural area, Ciel's parents were hoping for a more comfortable life in a friendly, quiet neighborhood and were eager to integrate and belong here. Ciel didn't blame them for wanting to make friends, but their efforts made him a little uncomfortable. This garden party today would be very nerve-wracking, he was just too reserved and calm to like something like that.

Still, Ciel took a deep breath and went down the stairs. In the hallway he took a quick look in the mirror. He wore very short jeans, dark blue chucks and a comfortable, also blue t-shirt. Ciel tugged at the clothes nervously. He was very petite and small, and often even the things in his size did not fit him properly. Ciel straightened his hair and hoped that it fell enough into his forehead to not accentuate his different colored eyes, then he went into the garden. Rachel was sitting on one of the fabric-covered garden chairs, talking to the friendly elderly woman who lived next to them. Apart from her, there weren't that many people around yet, so Ciel went to his father, who was standing at the grill and had a chat with the real estate agentm who had sold them the house, and his wife. The three of them were too busy talking to notice that Ciel sat down next to them on the edge of the wooden floor of the porch. 

Over time, more and more people arrived. They ran around, laughed, chatted and greeted each other happily. Ciel watched them from his place and tried to remember the faces and to recognize the character traits of the respective person. He saw a few teenagers he knew from his new school, including some of those who had teased him. To make sure they didn't do anything now, Ciel didn't move away from his father and the other two adults. Vincent was happy to flip the steaks and strips of meat. He then put those that were finished on plates next to him so that they could be fetched by anyone who was hungry. Suddenly, just as Vincent was putting a strip of meat on a fresh plate, something like a shadow flitted down. Vincent winced and leapt backwards while Ciel laughed when he saw what was happening. Two ravens were after the meat. Each one had one end of the strip grabbed with their beak and they were bouncing up and down as each tried to pull the piece into their direction.

Their argument was ended by a knife with a black leather handle that landed in the table exactly so that it sliced the meat in half. The ravens stumbled backwards and flew away in opposite directions. They flew right and left past Sebastian, who approached the table and pulled out his knife. "My apologies.", he said to Vincent and then smiled at Ciel, who had gotten up and gazed at Sebastian. Apparently Sebastian had had the impulse to dress as well as possible to get to know Ciel's parents. He wore a white shirt, the kind that would normally be worn with a suit, with the top two buttons open. His trousers too looked more formal, like the shoes, but both were black. Sebastian's jacket was black too, a leather jacket that fitted well on him, with wings embroidered on the back that looked like a raven's wings. Sebastian was carrying the same leather bag that he had had with him when they first met and a few stalks of lavender were sticking out of it.

Sebastian walked up to Ciel and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Blue looks good on you.", he said, gazing at Ciel with a smile. Ciel put his hand on Sebastian's. "It's great that you're here. Come on, I'll introduce you to my parents.”, he replied. His heart pounded faster with joy that he had actually come here for him. Ciel went to his father, who was staring at Sebastian with his mouth open as if he were the strangest thing he had ever seen. Ciel was perhaps not entirely innocent of that, because he had hardly talked about Sebastian, had only briefly mentioned him, so his parents had no chance to prepare themselves for him. When Rachel got to them, she stared at Sebastian just like her husband did. He really was a strange sight with his dark clothes and the mysterious demeanor he looked completely out of place among all the happy people with their light, colorful summer clothes. Sebastian looked like a raven in a group of songbirds. 

Sebastian completely ignored the surprise of the two and offered each of them his black tipped hand decorated with a thick silver ring with an obsidian attached to it. Both Rachel and Vincent were dazed when they shook Sebastian's hand and were examined by his observant gaze while Ciel introduced the three of them to each other. He briefly added the information that Sebastian owned the forest and that he had some ravens to clear up the confusion at least a little while Sebastian rummaged in his bag. “I took the liberty of bringing you some presents. Here, these are incense sticks to clean a living space. Just light a few in the house and open the windows, this should make the place a little more pleasant to live in. I always recommend doing this when you move into another house. Who knows what kind of things have already happened in the house and what might be lurking there. And this is a mix of sage and chamomile. A good tea for colds, but it doesn't taste that good. I recommend honey with it. And then there is this lavender bush here, a seedling from my own garden. You can plant it in your garden.", Sebastian explained, while he shoved a package with sticks, a small box and a small pot with a small lavender bush into Rachel's and Vincent's hands. "Uh... thank you.”, Rachel mumbled, ellbowing her husband in the ribs. "Yes... thank you.", Vincent agreed. The two withdrew to bring the presents into the house. 

Ciel had the uneasy feeling that they didn't know what to do with the presents and mentally decided to bring everything to his room later. He turned back to Sebastian just in time to see a grin spread across his face. "Sebastian?!", someone shouted in disbelief and when Ciel turned around, he realized that it was the real estate agent. He adjusted his glasses and stared in amazement at Sebastian, who was strolling towards him. His wife brushed her red mane from her face and turned to see whom her husband meant. When she saw Sebastian, she smiled. "Willi-Baby, isn't that your brother?", she asked, but her husband Will shook his head. "We're not related at all.", he clarified angrily. Sebastian hugged him anyway and squeezed his breath out of him. "William, it's nice to see you again.", he said and turned to Ciel. “Ciel, do you know William Spears? He and I were in the same nursing home when we were children. I avoided him the least. And you're Grell, aren't you? I think we only saw each other once at your wedding.”, Sebastian explained, saying the last sentence to Will's wife. She nodded and laughed. “Yes, I still remember that. You gifted us two kittens and gave us some a strange blessing. I didn't even know you live in this area.", Grell said. 

Meanwhile, Ciel stood next to Sebastian and eyed the two with a little more attention. He hadn't paid much attention to them until now, but now they were more interesting to him. William felt the same way with Ciel. He looked Ciel up and down and looked back and forth between him and Sebastian. "Tell me, young Phantomhive, how do you know Sebastian?", he asked. "I visited him twice in the forest and invited him to come here today.", Ciel explained, which made Will's mouth fall open. With wide eyes he turned to Sebastian. "You had...? You have a visit from someone? You? Someone visited you? In your forest?”, he stuttered, as if his brain couldn't process something so unusual. Sebastian suppressed a laugh and stroked Ciel's hair. "Well, he's special.", he replied. “But... he's a human. No animal. I thought you didnn't care about living things that aren't animals or plants.”, William said. Sebastian frowned. "You're doing me wrong. I am care a lot about people who also care about me.”, Sebastian contradicted. 

William adjusted his glasses and looked at Sebastian skeptically. “Name one person who cares about you. Excluding the boy.“, he challenged Sebastian. There was silence for a few minutes. "You.", Sebastian finally said, tapping William on the tip of his nose, but William slapped his hand away. “I don't care about you at all. We have nothing to do with each other.", he said, which apparently hurt Sebastian. He gasped in shock and crossed his arms. “How can you be so mean to me? I don't mean anything to you, are you serious?! We grew up together and I named an owl after you and you say we have nothing to do with each other?!”, he snapped at William, whose expression then lost all anger. "You named an owl after me?", he asked, amazed. "Yes, a lovely little tawny owl who is always nice to me, unlike you.", Sebastian hissed. William looked down and rubbed his neck nervously. "Hey, I didn't mean it that way. You know that I am not the friendliest person. I'm sorry.", he muttered, causing Sebastian to hug him again.


	5. strange humans

Sebastian and Ciel withdrew after they got themselves something to eat. They sat on the grass, leaning their backs against the garden fence, well hidden behind the bushes and hedges, but still able to see the other people. Ciel crossed his legs and was enjoying an ice cream. Sebastian had taken a plate and loaded it with everything there was. He sat hunched over the plate, cross-legged next to Ciel and ignored the ravens that had spread on and around him and gazed at him wistfully while he was eating, as if they were begging dogs.

“What about that one? He looks about as old as you, does he go to your class?“, Sebastian wanted to know and pointed with his fork at a freckled boy with glasses. The ravens looked up eagerly, but there wasn't a bite on the fork to steal. “Yes, this is McMillan. He's quite nice, but personally, I find him a little too optimistic. That quickly becomes too much to handle.", Ciel explained. Sebastian nodded and let his eyes wander further. "What about these four?", he asked, nodding into a certain direction. The ravens cocked their heads as if to imitate him. Or maybe they were trying to look cuter. "Which four?", Ciel asked as he tried to follow Sebastian's line of sight. "These four over there.", Sebastian replied and pointed with his fork into the distance, which caused the ravens to flutter up. 

Ciel grimaced when he spotted whom Sebastian meant. “Oh, these four. They're two classes above me. The one with the glasses is Bluer. The one next to him is called Violet. The stern-faced, tallest is Greenhill, and the long-haired one is Redmond. They are some of the most popular students in the whole school. And all of them are really good in at least one subject or something outside of school. It wouldn't be so annoying if they didn't feel so great about themselves that they believe they have the right to judge others. Greenhill for example walked by my class once during physical education and criticized everyone as if he were coaching a sports team. I don't know if he understands that some people aren't ninety-nine percent pure, well trained muscles. And that's just one example.", Ciel explained. Sebastian listened carefully but didn't look at him. Instead, he stared at the four and memorized their faces.

"What about that one over there?", he asked after a while in silence. This time there was a small piece of meat on his fork when he gestured with it, but he quickly pulled it back and put it in his own mouth before a raven got around to stealing it. Ciel made a disgusted sound when he saw who Sebastian was pointing at. "Maurice Cole.", he spat out the name. "How bad is he?", Sebastian asked. "The worst.", Ciel replied. He didn't need to say more than that and at least for now he wouldn't, because he discovered even more familiar faces in the crowd and in this case he wouldn't just explain who they were. Ciel hastily finished the rest of his ice cream and stood up. “Come on. I'll introduce you to the rest of my family.”, he announced. 

After Sebastian had quickly fed the rest of the food on his plate to the ravens, Ciel led him through the crowd until he had found his cousin. As always, she immediatly and somewhat violently hugged Ciel. She babbled on and started talking completely incoherently about all sorts of topics, but fell silent when her hands were removed from Ciel's arms, which she had just squeezed painfully tight. Sebastian stood only a hair's breadth away behind Ciel and stared down at the blonde girl, his face as unmoved as a mask. Ciel cleared his throat. “This is my cousin Elizabeth. This is Sebastian.“, he introduced the two quickly to each other. Sebastian seemed to relax a bit. "Cousin...I see... well then...", he muttered, as if he had expected worse. Lizzy eyed Sebastian as confused as Vincent and Rachel had done.

"Yes, um, Lizzy and her family moved here a short time before my parents and me did.", Ciel explained. Before he could say more, a woman pushed through the crowd to join them. She stopped next to Lizzy and gave Ciel a stern look. "There you are. And how you look again. Can't you dress properly?”, she snapped at him, then her gaze fell on Sebastian and she froze with the shock of his even worse appearance. "Uh... Aunt Frances, that's...", Ciel started, but Frances cut him off. "...the Satanist.", she said, putting her hands on her hips. Ciel blinked confused and leaned his head back to look up at Sebastian. Sebastian looked down at him in shock. "That is your aunt?", he wanted to know. Ciel just nodded. "Oh no. That's almost as bad as... “, his sentence was also completed by Frances. "Ash!", she called over her shoulder. “Oh, that fool is here too? I'm leaving.", Sebastian hissed, turned on his heel and hurried away. 

Ciel ran alongside him. "What... why...", he stuttered, too taken by surprise by the brief conversation with Frances. “This Ash, that's the pastor here. Sick guy who just had to come up with some excuse to explain to himself why I don't go to church. He's telling all around that I would worship Satan in the forest and people who are new and ready to believe such things, like your aunt, fall for his nonsense. In the middle of a crowd, even I don't feel like having an idiot preach to me that I'm going to hell. He does that every time he sees me and I don't always feel like singing the songs of Disney villains to make him go away, so I take the going away in moments like these onto myself.", Sebastian explained. He stopped at the garden gate. A look up into the air assured him that his ravens were following him, so he said goodbye to Ciel. "It was nice with you. We'll see each other again soon.", he promised and leaned his forehead against Ciel's. Then he turned around and walked away.


	6. Greenhill

"And he really lives in the forest?", Lizzy, who was crouching on the ground next to Ciel, asked. Ciel sighed and took a break from stretching. "Yes, for the last time, he does.", he replied breathlessly. Actually, the PE teacher Mister Agares had told them to warm up, but Lizzy preferred to ask loads and loads of questions. "And he really has tamed ravens?", she wanted to know. “I bet you that there isn't a single animal in this whole forest that doesn't listen to Sebastian. The wolves, for example, behave like puppies around him.”, Ciel explained and tried to reach his toes with his fingers. Lizzy frowned and tugged at her sports shorts. “That's not true, is it? That's a joke, he doesn't really have wolves as pets, does he?”, she asked. “No, he doesn't. They are wild wolves.”, Ciel corrected and stretched his arms up.

Before Lizzy could ask any more questions, Mister Agares threw a basketball in their direction. He hit Ciel on the arm, but ignored it. “Get up, Phantomhive. Stop gossiping and show whether you are capable of anything your looks say. You don't want to embarrass yourself in front of Greenhill, do you.", he snapped at Ciel. "Why Greenhill?", Ciel asked confused and rubbed his arm, but Agares had already gone away. "Because I'm the captain of the cricket team and that's why I decide who gets into the team and who doesn't.", Ciel heard a voice answer behind him and when he turned around he saw Greenhill standing on the edge of the gym with his legs apart and arms crossed . Ciel rolled his eyes and stood up. "I don't want to be on the stupid cricket team anyway.", he hissed angrily. "Just because you're not fit for sport is no excuse to be so disrespectful.", Greenhill growled, but Ciel ran away.

Even though he didn't care what Greenhill was thinking, Agares apparently didn't. He pushed the students on without mercy and did not allow breaks. Even when Ciel told him he had asthma, he was not spared. When the sports lesson and thus the classes for today was over, Ciel was completely sweaty and out of breath. His whole body hurt and he had to sit down and take deep breaths before he even managed to get changed. The others were already gone, Ciel was the last of his class who was still in the changing room. He was tying his shoes when Greenhill came in. He actually only used the changing room as a shortcut to get back into the main school building, but now that he saw Ciel, he seemed to change his mind. Instead of walking past him, he stood up in front of him and looked at him reproachfully. “That was just pathetic, kid. I've never seen such a poor performance. Do you think that's acceptable?”, he growled at Ciel, who was shocked and didn't know what to say, which Greenhill used to say more. “You are not only puny but also a pushover. A pathetic little weakling. I never want to see such a lazy hopping around again, do you understand?”, he snapped at Ciel, who was still staring at him. Greenhill hit the bench next to Ciel's leg with his fist. "Did you understand me?", he repeated louder. "Ye-hes.", Ciel exclaimed while he winced and finally Greenhill walked away.

Ciel was so exhausted and tired that he almost cried when he left the school building. He held his bag tightly and trudged wearily down the asphalt to the gate on the edge of the school compound. He was one of the last students to leave, so the area was free. Usually Ciel got caught up in the rush of students who were all leaving at the same time. It was actually quite pleasant not to be in the middle of the crowd. Ciel was torn from his thoughts by a loud croak. When he looked up he noticed a raven hopping directly towards him. It stopped next to him and looked up at him with smart, black eyes. Surprised, Ciel raised his gaze and he saw more ravens hop across the ground. They all came up to him as soon as they noticed him. Soon Ciel found himself surrounded by a flock of ravens and the reason for this was not far away. Sebastian leaned motionless against the gate to the school grounds until he saw Ciel. He strolled up to him and waved to him. Today he had combined his leather jacket with black jeans and black boots and looked a bit like a motorcyclist. Ciel forced his tired legs to strain once more today and ran towards Sebastian. He didn't stop until his face was pressed against Sebastian's chest.

Ciel closed his eyes and deeply inhaled the scent of the forest that hung on Sebastian. He could feel Sebastian wrapping an arm around his waist and stroking his hair with the other hand. "Something wrong? What's going on?”, Sebastian asked and his breath tickled Ciel's ear. Ciel just made an unintelligible noise and continued to press against him. They stood there for a while, then suddenly Sebastian picked him up. Ciel sat on Sebastian's right forearm like on a swing and was carried by him towards the town. "Tell me what happened.", Sebastian asked as he carried Ciel to a café.


	7. Agares gets a warning

"I understand. That doesn't sound good. Especially the P.E. teacher... A teacher shouldn't behave like that towards his students.", Sebastian muttered in thoughts. He stared at the tabletop and stirred his coffee as he pondered about what Ciel had told him. Ciel leaned his head on his shoulder and took a deep breath. Now that he was away from school and sitting close to Sebastian on a bench in front of a café, Sebastian's arm around his shoulders he felt so much better. P E didn't seem so bad anymore while he sipped his iced coffee.

“Why are you here anyway? It's rare to see you so far from the forest.”, Ciel muttered after a while into the silence. Sebastian leaned his head against Ciel's. "For one thing, I wanted to see you.", he said and watched as one of the ravens tried to undo Ciel's shoe laces. The ravens had settled around them. A couple of them hopped around on the floor, pecked at fallen crumbs and frightened the other guests in the café, who were sitting as far away as possible from the table at which Sebastian was sitting. “And on the other hand I wanted to show you my new smart phone. I just bought it.“, Sebastian added, reached into his jacket's pocket and took out a smartphone.

Ciel looked at it in surprise. "I thought you don't need a phone.", he said. When he had asked Sebastian for his number once, Sebastian had been initially irritated before he had declared that he did not have a phone. “I changed my mind. Look, I even have a camera in there. Smile!", Sebastian stated and took a picture of Ciel, who smiled at him amused. "Most smart phones have a camera.", Ciel said as he pulled out his own phone so they could exchange their phone numbers.

When Johann Agares left his house the next day to go to school, it was foggy. He couldn't see far and shivered in the cool morning air. It wasn't until Agares reached his car parked in the driveway that he realized something was strange. The car looked crooked and stained. As he looked more closely, Agares noticed that the car had two flat tires and that the spots were really stains from bird droppings. The culprits were even still sitting on the car and on the trees and garden fences around him. He couldn't see all of them, but he heard the croaking and fluttering of the many ravens.

Agares looked around uncertainly. Somehow he felt uncomfortable, as if something was wrong. He tried to shake off the feeling. There was nothing there, only his car was in bad shape, no need to be afraid, just angry. When Agares turned to go back to the house, he saw a figure approaching him in the fog. Agares flinched. "Who's there?", he called hoarsely. But the figure was silent and just kept walking towards him. "What is this about? What do you want from me?”, he called louder this time. He backed away, but wasn't quick enough. The figure grabbed his collar and lifted him up.

"You're getting on my nerves, Johann Agares.", a deep voice growled. Up close, Agares recognized the man who lived in the forest. The man whom everyone avoided, who nobody wanted to make angry. Agares gulped. "Leave me alone. I didn't do anything to you.", he shouted, but the man made an annoyed noise that sounded more like the hissing of a snake. He wore a floor-length black coat and black leather gloves, as Agares noticed as the man carried him toward the car. While the two talked, the cawing of the ravens got louder and louder and they fluttered around more frantically. “You'd better treat your students properly, Agares. Be a good teacher, that's all you have to do. Consider yourself lucky that I am warning you.”, the man hissed and let Agares fall onto the hood of his car. All the ravens flew up and their loud caws filled the air. Agares slid off the hood, got to his feet, and looked up at the man, but he was gone.


	8. Greenhill's problem

Shortly before the cricket game against the team from another school, Greenhill gathered his team around him once again. They went into a room next to the locker rooms and discussed their strategy one more time. Greenhill wanted to make sure his team mates wouldn't let him down. He often boasted that he had turned a game in their favor on his own, but it was also important that his teammates didn't make it too difficult for him. While the team talked about that, their coach held himself back. The PE teacher Mister Agares had been a little nervous for the last few days and had left guiding the team to Greenhill. Greenhill was a little irritated by Agares' behavior and suspected that he was either a little sick or he was having problems at home. For now, he just ignored him and focused on the game ahead.

None of the players noticed that someone was quietly creeping into the changing room next door. Nobody saw him, nobody heard him and he didn't leave any traces. The school building was never really closed and a lot of people came to the game today. Pretty much the whole village was gathered here, even those who weren't really interested in cricket. No one noticed or paid attention when someone went to the gym and slipped through a door into the hallways of the school. It was easy to find Greenhill's space and clothes in the changing room. His bottle of water was clearly visible there too. Greenhill would hardly taste the herbal brew Sebastian poured into it. And he wouldn't notice the little gem stone or the sheet of paper in his trouser pockets. The game probably wasn't going to be too difficult and it wasn't important for the season, but if Greenhill screwed it up it would still put a damper on his ego. And even if it didn't, there would be many more opportunities to make him learn his lesson.

Ciel let his legs dangle in the air. His plastic seat in a row with the many other seats was too high for him to rest his feet on the floor. Or rather, Ciel was too small. He stared bored at the grassy area where in a few minutes a stupid game that he didn't want to see was about to start. In the seat directly in front of him sat MacMillan babbling enthusiastically about the cricket games of the past few years, and further down, near the field, Lizzy sat with her parents to cheer on her brother, who was on the team of their school. To the right of Ciel sat his mother, who was deep in conversation with Vincent, who sat to her right. The seat next to Ciel on the left was empty, but that changed while the players marched onto the field.

Ciel looked up in surprise when Sebastian suddenly sat down next to him and placed his arm around him. "Hey, nice to see you.", he said, nudging Ciel's hair with his nose. Ciel felt the blush in his cheeks involuntarily. "Hi... I... didn't expect you here.", he mumbled puzzled. By now he should have gotten used to the fact that Sebastian often appeared seemingly out of nowhere next to him, but still he couldn't help reacting surprised. Sebastian smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind Ciel's ear. "You look beautiful. You always do.”, he muttered, which made Ciel blush even more. After that, their conversation was put on halt by the game starting.

Sebastian was completly relaxed ashe watched the team from Ciel's school. Ciel sometimes explained who the individual players were and how he knew them. Sebastian was listening to him, but he seemed a little distracted. Sometimes he mumbled something that Ciel couldn't understand because it was so quiet, but when Ciel asked about it, Sebastian claimed he hadn't said anything. The whole time his fingers twisted absentmindedly on the gem stone, which he had hanging on a leather cord around his neck. Ciel thought nothing of it and was also distracted by the game. Something seemed to be wrong with the team of his school.

The whole school was used to Greenhill doing an impressive job. Every time it was his turn to hit the balls away, he took a sip of water, rolled up his sleeves, and took brisk steps to his place, where he took the bat and hit every single ball away. It had always been like that, every game. At least until now.

Greenhill was sweating and out of breath as he tried hard to hit the balls. The longer the game went on, the less he succeeded. Again and again he had to be replaced. Each time he stumbled to the bench at the edge of the field and sat down on it, breathing heavily. Somehow it wasn't as easy as usual to breathe. He tried to bring himself to slow and calm his breathing but it just didn't work, even if he took a sip of water, which he always did when he had a short break, he didn't feel better afterwards. At some point towards the end of the game Greenhill had to acknowledge that he couldn't take part in it anymore. He was just too exhausted and meanwhile didn't hit a ball, let alone that he could throw good balls.

While the others were on the field, he sat on the bench and stared straight ahead. He just didn't understand what was wrong with him. He had never played so patheticly. What was going on all of a sudden? He felt like a fragile, little boy. Greenhill leaned back and tried to breathe deeply, but he just started to cough. Suddenly he noticed a handbag that someone had put on the floor next to the bench. An asthma inhaler stuck out, and before he knew what he was doing, Greenhill took it and used it. Afterwards, he felt better, if not stronger, and he put the inhaler in his trousers' pocket before he remembered it wasn't his. He quickly took it out and put it back in the handbag, but noticed that he had got something else out of his pocket too.

There was a little piece of paper with some strange scribbling on it. Greenhill could barely read it, he could only make out one word 'asthma'. Nervously he threw the note away. But that made little difference. He couldn't shine in this game and had to deal with the fact that his team had done everything without him. For a few more days Greenhill felt weak and pathetic, but then this condition simply vanished and in a short time he was as good as before. Greenhill's health hadn't been damaged, just his ego. After the cricket game was over, Sebastian invited Ciel to the cinema and held his hand throughout the entire film they watched together. Ciel enjoyed it, it was a nice day for both of them.


	9. other tpoics

Today Ciel went straight to the woods after school. He didn't pay much attention to the path he was following, but he didn't have to. After a while he arrived at Sebastian's house. Without realizing it he sighed in relief when he saw the moss-covered house with the ravens on the roof. By now the mere sight of it relaxed him. He came here so often to spend some time with Sebastian that he wasn't surprised by this reaction. Ciel knocked on the door and waited, but nothing moved inside. It was possible that Sebastian was out in the woods somewhere. In that case Ciel would just wait here. But to make sure he wasn't there, Ciel circled the house.

There was a small clearing behind the house that Sebastian had fenced in and dug through to make a garden. He was growing a huge amount of herbs here. They were growing wild from Ciel's perspective, but Sebastian claimed that they were planted in a certain order. What kind of order that should be, Ciel still hadn’t seen through, but now he didn't worry about it. Instead he focused on Sebastian, who was sitting on the ground at the edge of the garden and was surrounded by his wolves.

One of them was halfway lying on Sebastian's lap and let him ruffle through his fur, most of the others were lying around Sebastian, enjoying the autumn sun that shone through the thick roof of branches and panting in a good mood. A couple of the younger wolves were running around the garden, jumping at each other or rolling around on the soil. When they saw Ciel approaching, they jumped up and ran towards him with wagging tails. "Good morning, favourite human.", Ciel heard Sebastian's voice as he pet the wolves and tried not to be knocked over by them. Ciel worked his way between wolves and plants and dropped to the ground next to Sebastian. "It's already noon.", he corrected him. As usual, he leaned his head towards Sebastian to let him greet him. Sebastian rubbed his cheek against Ciel's hair and nudged his temple with his nose, then he turned back to the wolf on his lap, who was licking Ciel's hand.

"How are you?", Sebastian asked. He had tweezers in one hand and was brushing the fur aside with the other. Ciel leaned his head on Sebastian's shoulder and scratched the wolf between the ears. "Quite well. I am just a bit tired. We just had PE class and then I came all the way here. Without lunch. Feel honored that I take such hardships on me to see you.", he replied and pouted. Sebastian looked up from his wolf and smiled at him. “I really do feel honored. I will take care of you immediately to express my gratitude. I'll be finished here right away.”, he said and pressed a kiss to Ciel's forehead. Before he could see how Ciel blushed, he leaned over the wolf again and found something. "There. That was the last one.", he murmured and pulled a tick from the fur of the wolf with the tweezers. He dropped it into a small bowl with more of ticks that he had picked from the other wolves and pet the wolf. "You did well. Good boy.", he praised and let him join the others.

Sebastian gathered up his things and carried them in one hand. In his other arm he carried Ciel, who was holding his school bag. "Do I even weigh anything to you at all?", Ciel asked, amused, while Sebastian carried him into the house. Sebastian thought for a moment. "About a whole grape.", he said finally. He carried Ciel straight into the kitchen and set him down on a chair. He put the ticks into a kitchen cupboard, what he still needed them for Ciel didn't ask, then he set about cooking something. “So you had p.e. Is that still that bad? Is the teacher still acting unacceptably?”, he asked casually. Ciel stretched and stood up. "No. Maybe he just had a bad day recenty. Now he's much more bearable. Just a little nervous. When we recently walked through the school yard, he was almost scared to death just because he saw a raven. Funny guy.", Ciel said. He went to Sebastian and leaned his forehead against his back. That felt good. He could feel Sebastian's warm, muscular torso through the shirt he was wearing.

Sebastian nodded. "Very well. Do you have any other teachers who can't behave?”, he wanted to know while he took a fish and put it on his cutting board. "Hm. The art teacher Mister Druitt is annoying.", Ciel muttered and grimaced when he thought of the man. "So much to do.", Sebastian muttered. "Did you say something?", Ciel asked. He hadn't understood Sebastian's last sentence. Sebastian chopped off the fish's head. "Nothing. Let's stop talking about teachers, that's too tiresome a topic.”, he replied. Ciel nodded and started talking about other things instead. Sebastian listened carefully and put an arm around him while he cooked.


	10. altar

Sebastian had a big smile on his face as he led Ciel up the stairs. His long fingers closed completely around Ciel's so much smaller hand and he kept looking back to him. Ciel was a bit skeptical about his behavior, but it also amused him. He hadn't seen Sebastian so excited often, he almost looked like a child, regardless of his 25 years. The two finally arrived at the attic door. Sebastian took Ciel's hand in both of his own hands and kissed it. “I've never shown this room to anyone before. It's my place of retreat, just for me, so please let it be proof of how important you are to me.", Sebastian explained, then he released one hand from Ciel's and opened the door wide with it. Ciel blushed at Sebastian's words, but was quickly distracted by the room in front of him.

The attic appeared to be one large room. It was probably only half of the attic, but nonetheless it was a large, high room. On the floor was a soft, dark red carpet in which Ciel's feet sank a little as he slowly walked over it and looked around. Lots of leather cords or threads hung from the low ceiling beams, from which Sebastian had hung all kinds of things at different heights. There were raven feathers that he'd collected when his ravens had moulted. Several different gems hung from the ceiling and glittered when the sunlight fell onto them. Some herbs, here and there a flower that Sebastian had carefully pressed before hanging it up, gave off a pleasant scent in the room. There were also a few small glass bottles with colored or transparent liquids, some with small gems or herbs too, hung from the ceiling.

Ciel walked slowly through the many things. It felt a bit like he was walking through a cloud of objects. Sebastian skilfully snaked his way to the center of the room thanks to habit. There was a roughly circular spot there over which nothing was hanging from the ceiling. When Ciel followed Sebastian there, he looked up and found that it was because there was a large window in the sloping roof through which he could see the sky. Under the window were several large cushions in the middle of which Sebastian sat down and patted his thigh invitingly. Ciel walked over to him and sat between Sebastian's crossed legs. Now he was facing a very low, rectangular chest of drawers.

It only had two drawers and was therefore no bigger than a living room table, but that wasn't what was extraordinary about it. What was much more interesting was what stood on top of it. On top of it was a black velvet cloth that was so long that it hung a little over the edges. In the middle of it lay a pentagram made of twigs and thread, in the middle of which stood a black candle in a slim, silver candlestick. At four of the corners of the pentagram stood a small stone bowl with more gems and herbs mixed together. In contrast to those that hung from the ceiling, they apparently had a system. In one bowl there were red and orange stones and plants, in the next blue ones, in the third white and gray ones and in the last mainly green, but also a few black and brown ones. At the top of the pentagram was a small brass statue showing two figures. One was a grim-looking, muscular man in a Greek robe, who wore a helmet and a bident. With his arm around her waist stood a woman who was similarly dressed and had flowers in her hair and hands.

“This is my altar. I sit here to meditate, to ponder, or just when I feel like it. Mostly to relax. Then I look at the sky above me or the altar in front of me. The four bowls symbolize the elements and the two there are Hades and Persephone.”, Sebastian explained. He opened the bottom drawer and took out a lighter and incense sticks. He stuck one of the sticks in a bowl, which he also took out of the drawer, and lit it. "This is a nice place.", Ciel said, leaning his head back. Sebastian's hair brushed his face and he could see the clouds in the sky through the window.

"And you really haven't shown this to anyone before?", he asked. Sebastian kissed his forehead and wrapped his arms around him. "No one. As I said, this is my personal place where I relax. I don't want any other people there. I don't even let the cats in here.”, Sebastian confirmed. Ciel raised an eyebrow. "Of course not. They'd tear everything down.", he stated, which made Sebastian laugh. "That's true. But that's not what I meant. What I mean is that I am so comfortable in your presence. What I mean is that I could sit you down on the altar and then the room would probably be even more relaxing. You know what? I'll do that now.”, Sebastian explained. He pulled open the top drawer and took out a stuffed rabbit of the kind that Ciel owned. He sat it down behind Hades and Persephone, over whose heads the rabbit could now see. Ciel blushed and snuggled backwards against Sebastian.


	11. obsidian

Sebastian softly hummed a melody. His voice made his chest vibrate, causing Ciel to almost fall asleep. The two had curled up on the cushions in front of the altar, Ciel's head was placed on Sebastian's chest. The candle on the altar burned and bathed the room in dim light. Outside, rain clouds that were gathering together and preparing for a thunderstorm, darkened the sky so it was already quite dark despite being afternoon. The incense stick made the air smell nicly. Ciel inhaled the gentle incense and Sebastian's scent with each breath. He didn't know what kind of incense it was, but he liked the smell.

The two were almost literally knotted into a ball from the shallows of which the ringing of a phone suddenly sounded. Sebastian frowned in confusion at the unfamiliar tone, but Ciel only made an unwilling noise as he recognized it as his own phone. He straightened up and took it out of his pocket. "It's my mother, I have to answer that.", he explained to Sebastian apologetically. Sebastian nodded and untangled their limbs. "Hi Mum ..... No, I'm with Sebastian ..... Well, my best friend Sebastian, you've met him before, don't you remember? .... Okay, I'll be on my way. Can I bring Sebastian with me? .... Thanks mum. See you then.“, Ciel spoke into the phone.

While Ciel was talking to Rachel, Sebastian got up and walked a semicircle around him. As he did so, he stretched out his arms and let his fingertips slide over the threads on which the many objects were hanging. He stretched and untied a short leather cord from the ceiling beam. Ciel put his cell phone away, got up and turned to Sebastian, who took his hand. "Here, I wanted to give this to you.", he said and placed an oval, black gemstone on a leather cord in Ciel's palm. “It's an obsidian. It's supposed to keep other people's bad intentions away from you.", Sebastian explained, knotted the ends of the cord and hung the stone around Ciel's neck. Ciel picked up the obsidian and turned it back and forth in admiration.

When Ciel raised his head and looked at Sebastian, there was a big smile on his face. “I want to give you something too. Crouch down a bit.", he asked him. Sebastian obeyed and made himself smaller while Ciel stood on his tiptoes. Ciel placed his hands on Sebastian's cheeks and his lips on Sebastian's mouth. The kiss was short but sweet and when Ciel let go of Sebastian he saw him blush for the first time. Ciel smiled. "I would only give you of all people my first kiss.", he said before Sebastian could stutter a thanks.

After the two had finally finished kissing and cuddling and had left the attic, Ciel got his shoes and jacket. “I asked my mother if you could have dinner with us and she said it would be okay. Will you come with me?”, he asked Sebastian, who immediately got dressed as well. It was cool outside and already quite dark. Sebastian took Ciel's hand and led him around the house. “Do you see the crevices up there? They lead to the other half of my attic, which we didn't see today.”, he explained. Ciel looked up and widened his eyes in amazement. He could see in the wooden wall what Sebastian was talking about and with astonishment he noticed that dusk lured a flock of bats out of Sebastian's attic. The two watched for a while as the bats whizzed around until it finally got too dark.


	12. dinner

Rachel's eyes widened when she saw Sebastian and Ciel come into the house. The rain outside had started, so the two of them had run here and Sebastian had put his jacket on Ciel. Embarrassed under Rachel's gaze, Ciel released his hand from Sebastian's and mumbled a greeting and that they would dry themselves off. Rachel just nodded dazedly and let her gaze follow after her son, who was leading this tall, smiling man, whose black and red plaid shirt was clinging to his muscular torso with wetness. Still confused, she went back to the kitchen. When Ciel had said he was with his best friend, she hadn't been expecting the Goth guy whose lavender bush Ciel had in his room.

After Ciel gave Sebastian a towel and got him to put on some dry clothes from his father, the two came down the stairs. Ciel himself had changed too, but he was still feeling cold. Sebastian took off his shirt again to give it to Ciel, who protested and tried to stop Sebastian from baring his upper body. This was how Vincent found the two. He stared at Sebastian in amazement the way he had when they had first met. Ciel pulled at Sebastian's hand to take him into the dining room instead of leaving him with his father, and Sebastian gave in. He just had to smile because the two looked like a Chihuahua was pulling a Doberman on a leash.

Luckily for him, he was able to hold back a laugh. Instead, he helped Rachel and Ciel set the table. Having heard they were expecting a guest, Rachel had made an effort with dinner. On the table were bowls with salad, potatoes, vegetables and meat, and next to the plates were napkins. Sebastian sat down next to Ciel, Rachel and Vincent sat across from them and occasionally glanced at each other. Rachel's face visibly became more relaxed over time. She nodded in agreement as she watched Sebastian offer each bowl to Ciel before he took it for himself.

Vincent took longer to get used to Sebastian's presence. "Pretty bad weather, isn't it.", he remarked after talking a bit about work. "Huh? Oh, yes, if you don't like rain, that's right.”, Sebastian replied. He had set up some bowls on his terrace before they had left, to catch rainwater, and had laughed as they had ran through the rain. "But I'm sure it will be cleared up by the time of the festival.", he added, offered Ciel salad and then took some himself.

Rachel and Vincent looked at him confused, which Sebastian noticed, but skillfully covered over. “The annual medieval festival with the medieval themed market and the knight tournament takes place in one week. By then the ground will definitely be dry again. The ground is hard on the fairground. It won't stay muddy.", he explained. Ciel looked at Sebastian and ignored how relieved his parents looked that they didn't have to ask for an explanation. "Are you going to attend it too?", he asked. Sebastian looked at him in surprise. “At the tournament? I don't think so.”, he said. “I meant the market. They'd certainly be happy to have someone who has trained ravens and who can read cards.", Ciel replied.

Sebastian considered that and poked around in his salad. "Well, admittedly, this year's income goes to a bird protection association, among other things, so at least one of them would fit, but... I've never participated in that.", he mumbled and examined Ciel's face. "Would you like me to attend it?" , he wanted to know. Ciel smiled. "It would be nice to see you do it.", he said. One could almost see Sebastian's chest swelling proudly as a result. "Well, there's a first time for everything.", he muttered.


	13. hair

"And you really want to do that?", Victoria asked again. She had asked this question so often in the course of the phone call that Sebastian was now sure that it had taken up at least half of her speech. He sighed with his mouth away from the phone, then held it back closer to his mouth. “Yes, Misses Queen. I really want to take part in the medieval market and the tournament.", he repeated and managed not to sound annoyed.

After saying goodbye to the Phantomhives and going home, he had searched the internet for the organizers of the festival and had called them the next morning. It was the Phantomhive family's neighbor who went over the registration form with him on the phone and planned a tent in the market where he would do future readings. Sebastian's call came at short notice, but he offered such a rare service that it was gladly taken. They had never had divination in the market before, but the demand was there. After saying goodbye to Victoria, Sebastian hung up and walked into his kitchen, humming in a good mood. 

Outside the forest was still wet from the rain last night and the ravens had fluffed up offendedly. One of them stalked cawing across the kitchen table towards Sebastian and let him lift him up and hold him in his arms like a baby. “Can you believe it? I will really take part in the festival. And that's just because of Ciel. How typical. This cute boy could make me do anything. And he doesn't even have to say anything.”, he told the raven happily. The bird croaked and eyed Sebastian. "Yes, I know what you're thinking.", Sebastian sighed, got an oat biscuit and gave it to him. Shaking his head, Sebastian sat the raven back down on the table and turned away. “You have no sense for love, none of you. At least you don't have any sense for anything else either, so I can't blame you.”, he muttered.

Still shaking his head, Sebastian fetched the bowl with the ticks and one of the bowls with the rainwater from yesterday and took them out of the kitchen. There were two more doors right behind the kitchen door. One led upstairs to the attic, the other downstairs to the basement. Sebastian went down the spiral staircase to the basement. It was in the ground, the floor and walls were made of stone. It was cool here and Sebastian had no electric light installed in it. He lit candles on the candlesticks that were attached to the wall. "Now then, what's his name again, that boy who annoyed Ciel?", Sebastian muttered. While he thought about the name he walked around the round room.

On the polished surface in the center he drew a symbol with the wolf blood in the ticks. From the shelves that ran along the walls and looked similar to the ones in the kitchen, he got a wax doll with straw for hair and a tuft of dried wolfsbane. The shelves here, even though they were filled with bunches of herbs and jars, like in the kitchen, looked quite different. Sebastian put the doll in the middle of the markings and sprinkled the plant, which he rubbed between his hands, over it. "Edgar Redmond", he muttered. There was no longer any sign of his cheerfulness. He thought of the story Ciel had told later that dinner. About the uperclassman at his school who had threatened to cut Ciel's hair off for fun, even though Ciel had done nothing to him.

A few miles away in the village, Edgar Redmond was singing in the shower, admiring his own voice. He lathered his hair with shampoo and scratched his suddenly itchy scalp. He got some shampoo in his eye and had to squint for the rest of the shower, so he didn't notice the blonde hairs collecting in the drain. It wasn't until he got out of the shower stall and dried his hair that he noticed how much of his hair was getting caught in the towel. Annoyed by the loss, he brushed nourishing oils into his hair, but it was too late for that. More fell out with each stroke of the brush. At some point Edgar screamed at his almost bald reflection in the mirror.


	14. pen

“And then Mister Druitt threw up in the rubbish bin in front of the class. And because it made him feel so ashamed, he hasn't come to school since the day before yesterday.”, McMillan told Ciel excitedly. He was always informed about everything that was going on in the school. Although Ciel wasn't particularly interested in what was going on, he couldn't help smiling at the news. Druitt was so arrogant that one could only be happy if his ego was scratched a little.

“Or maybe he's got the flu or something. Redmond hasn't been to school in a few days either, and he's Druitt's nephew. He could have caught it from him.”, McMillan continued, but then he fell silent because a tambourine fell to the floor next to him. The music room was half full with instruments. The other half were pupils. The classroom was so full that Ciel and McMillan had sat on the heaters under the windows to even have a place to sit.

While McMillan put the tambourine back, Ciel rummaged in his bag. "Where's my pen?", he muttered to himself. McMillan tapped him on the shoulder. "What?", Ciel sked absentmindedly. McMillan poked him harder in the shoulder. "What is it?", Ciel wanted to know impatiently and looked up. As he did that, he found that McMillan hadn't touched him. He stared in amazement at Ciel's shoulder, which was again being tapped.

When Ciel looked around, he noticed that a raven was sitting in the open window. He tapped his beak on Ciel's shoulder and balanced on one leg. In the claws of the other foot he held Ciel's pen, which he had left at Sebastian's house. Ciel smiled. He took the pen and rewarded the raven with a piece of the bread he had with him. The raven ate it up and happily let Ciel scratch him under the beak. After his reward, he flew away and landed in the school yard, where he began to peck at a crumpled piece of paper.

Ciel took the cap from his pen and found a small, folded piece of paper inside. Sebastian's handwriting said that he would pick Ciel up after school. Ciel smiled and mentioned this to McMillan when he noticed that the music teacher Mister Blavat had come to them. "That raven there... Does it belong to Sebastian Michaelis?", he wanted to know, confused. "Yes of course. How many people have tame ravens?", Ciel replied.

Assuming everything was sorted out now, he turned back to McMillan. “Well, Sebastian is really relaxed. I would have thought he would train before the tournament instead of picking me up from school.”, he told him. Blavat, who had just watched the raven in the school yard, turned to Ciel in shock. "Sebastian Michaelis will take part in the tournament?", he asked surprised. Ciel nodded. Then Blavat left and went to his desk at the front of the classroom. "Today I'm only showing you a film.”, he announced to the class. While the students were watching the film, Blavat took out his laptop and canceled his entry in the tournament.


	15. the market

As Sebastian had foretold, the weather was sunny and the ground dry when the medieval market took place. The whole fairground at the edge of the forest was filled with long rows of tents. People had pulled medieval costumes out of their closets. They laughed and ran around excitedly, looking at everything and shopping the stalls empty. Some rode horses and a few people had a note on the back of their clothing stating that they would be participating in the tournament tomorrow. One should bet on them.

Ciel wore a simple white shirt, the top buttons of which he had not buttoned, Sebastian's obsidian necklace, light brown, tight trousers and a pair of old-fashioned boots that looked a bit feminine. He had a leather pouch attached to his belt in which he carried his money. Ciel walked into the market at McMillan's side, but the two quickly lost each other in the mess. Ciel looked at the many stalls in fascination. It didn't surprise him that people were so keen on this festival. When else did they get around to offering or marveling at everything there was here, not to mention buying it. There were plenty of stalls to buy something to eat and Ciel got a small paper bag full of candied berries, which he ate as he snaked through the crowd.

There were tents in which blacksmiths' articles were displayed and sold. There were swords, daggers and knives from people who were smiths either as a hobby or as a profession. But also goldsmiths who offered jewelry and decorations. There were many clothes sellers selling damsel and lord costumes and many others. At one of these stands, Ciel saw Lizzy, who was excited about a couple of princess dresses. He turned on his heel quickly and walked away. About in the middle of the square was a collection of benches and tables lined up in front of a stage. Lots of people sat there and ate, drank and laughed. They cheered to a group of musicians who were making amazingly good-sounding music with bagpipes and drums. Ciel stood there for a while and listened, then moved on. As interesting as he found everything, he was always searching. Now he ended his detour through the market and went closer to the edge of the forest.

As he had suspected, Ciel found Sebastian's tent there. It was away from the hustle and bustle, the music was much quieter here, but could still be heard easily. Sebastian's tent was bigger than Ciel had thought. Or maybe it was just as big as the others and seemed more spacious because it wasn't full of goods. It was made of a soft, black fabric with dark purple symbols worked into it, most of which Ciel did not recognize. He knew the triskele and the pentagram, the rest was alien to him.

Around the tent there were a few poles in the ground that held a rope that formed an open circle around the tent. It served as a perch and held many of the ravens, who cawed happily at the sight of Ciel. Ciel waved to them and went inside. The scent of burning sage hit him as he came in. Ciel stopped and looked around. Similar to Sebastian's attic, feathers and small gems were hanging from the ceiling, but only a few and they were only in the middle of the tent. Below was a small round table with two chairs facing each other. A little further back a large cast iron bowl stood on three lion's feet and held the smoldering herbs. There were only a few shelves on the walls.

"I've been waiting for you.", Ciel heard Sebastian's voice from the semi-darkness of the edges of the tent. Sebastian walked up to him and spread his arms with a smile. "Welcome to my realm.", he said. Sebastian wore black leather pants and boots. He was without a shirt, his upper body was almost exposed. He wore a black, floor-length coat that Ciel had never seen before. Similar to other coats with a wide fur collar, there were several raven feathers attached to Sebastian's collar. The whole collar had been carefully covered with it, the stems pointing towards Sebastian's head, the ends turned outward, like wings. The feathers stretched over his whole shoulders and in front and back to the middle of his upper body, whereby they became less and less downwards, like an inverted triangle. A few black gems sparkled here and there between the feathers. Sebastian went to Ciel, hugged him and lifted him into his arms. "My darling.", he muttered and kissed Ciel on the lips.


	16. cards

"That's strange.", Sebastian muttered as he looked at the third card. “The other two make sense to me, but I can't quite interpret the third one. Something like that seldom happens.", he added. Ciel followed his gaze and examined the third card as well. It showed a man and a woman who stood facing each other and held hands.

"What does the card mean?", Ciel asked. Sebastian had quickly identified the other two cards that represented Ciel's past and future. The first, meaning change, stood for the move, the second, meaning new friends, stood for Sebastian. That Sebastian couldn't make up his mind on the third card surprised Ciel. “It stands for good luck in love matters and progress in a relationship. For example, a pair of lovers who become a married couple or something like that.”, Sebastian explained.

Ciel blushed. "Oh. I see.", he mumbled. Sebastian shot him a sideways glance. "Is there anyone you might get together with soon?", he asked, trying to sound casual. “You mean apart from yourself? Of course not.", Ciel replied with furrowed eyebrows. "Me?", Sebastian asked, giving Ciel a puppy eyes look. "Sebastian, we kissed for the second time less than ten minutes ago and I'm sitting on your lap right now, you should probably get the hint!", Ciel reminded him and tapped Sebastian on the tip of his nose with his index finger.

Before Sebastian could reply, the two heard the rustle of the tent fabric at the entrance. "Hey!", Grell shouted happily when she came in. Blushing, Ciel got up from Sebastian's lap. “Hello, Grell. Will.", Sebastian said, his eyes still on Ciel. "You look like you are in your element.", noted William, who followed Grell. He eyed Sebastian calmly, obviously neither surprised nor impressed by Sebastian's appearance. Grell, however, paused and let an admiring "Oh, wow." be heard when Sebastian got up. In his black feather coat he looked broader shouldered and his abs were on display.

Sebastian spread his arms, which gave him something of a raven himself, and smiled at his visitors. "Welcome.", he said, pointing invitingly to the chair opposite his own. Grell immediately sat down and watched intently as Sebastian shuffled his tarot cards. "Do you have a question for the cards?", he wanted to know. Grell thought for a moment. "Nothing special. I would just like to have a general reading for the future.”, she said. Sebastian focused on his shuffeling activity. “General future. Something from her future.", he mumbled quietly to himself.

After a while a card fell from the deck and Sebastian immediately stopped shuffling. He put the deck aside and turned the card over to examine it closely. It showed a blond toddler riding a horse in front of a bright, sunny sky, holding up a golden goblet. Sebastian was silent for a minute. "Maybe you should buy a pregnancy test soon.", he finally suggested. Grell blinked in surprise. “What?”, she asked confused. "Good news.", Sebastian said and tapped the card. Grell jumped up and wrapped her arms around William's neck. "Willi-bae, did you hear that?", she exclaimed enthusiastically.

William frowned and looked sharply at Sebastian. "Are you sure about that?", he asked. "As sure as I can be with the cards.", Sebastian replied and nodded. Will nodded back and let his cheerful wife pull him out of the tent. “He looks like he believes you. That surprises me. I would have thought Will would doubt your reading.", Ciel remarked while he watched them leave. "William has not doubted my abilities anymore for a long time.", Sebastian replied cryptically and shuffled the cards again.


	17. William's warning

The next day, Ciel walked around between the tents and stalls on the way to Sebastian. He was just passing one of the benches next to some of the food stands when someone called his name. William invited him to sit down with him for a moment. He drank some wine while his wife admired the jewelry that was on display at a stand a few meters away. 

“It's about Sebastian. I wanted to talk to you about him.”, Will explained as Ciel sat down. "What about him?", asked Ciel. “I'm curious about your relationship. Sebastian doesn't get along with anyone who isn't a cat, a wolf, or a raven. But he's even more attached to you than to these three together. That's unusual, but not really what I want to talk to you about.", Will said and took a sip of wine. 

"Do you know that Sebastian would do anything for you?", he asked after the short break. A smile flashed through the corners of Ciel's mouth. "He hinted at something like that.", he replied. William nodded in thought. Again he made a short pause in which he eyed Ciel carefully. “I've known Sebastian since we were children. That's why I know one should never mess with him. As I said, he doesn't like people, and people find him unsettling. So he has no reason to be nice to them, especially if he thinks you have been wronged by them.", William explained. He took off his glasses and cleaned them with his handkerchief. 

“I want to be very open to you. Sebastian is in love with you. He knows that you have wrapped him around your finger and doesn't care. That means that you have to take care of Sebastian. He is like a loyal dog. He will listen to you when you give him an order, but he can act alone and will always do it for your protection. Anyways, that would be the reason for his actions.", Will continued. He put his glasses back on and watched Ciel's reaction. Ciel, in turn, studied William's face. “You sound like you have clear understanding of Sebastian's motivations. But what should he do if someone behaves badly towards me? Do you think he would beat someone up in public? Then he would have legal problems, maybe go to jail and in jail he would not be able to look after his animals. No, Sebastian wouldn't do that.", Ciel replied. William nodded thoughtfully. "No. He wouldn't do that.", he repeated, emphasizing the last word. 

For a few moments the two looked at each other in silence. Ciel had the impression that William wanted to say more, but he waited in vain for him to do so. Finally, when Ciel was about to ask, Grell came to the two of them and the conversation was over. Ciel excused himself and left. Behind him he could still hear Grell raving about a great pair of earrings she had seen, then the crowd of people drowned their voices. Ciel went to Sebastian's tent, William's warning still on his mind.


	18. a token

On the third and last day of the medieval festival, the market no longer took place. Even if it had, nobody would have come there because the tournament was taking place today. Anyone who wanted to could register, and if they changed their mind, they could withdraw their registration. But those who remained stubborn would compete with other participants in fights with blunt swords. Unfortunately, there was no joust this year either, so the sword fights were the first competition to take place. 

Ciel pushed his way through the crowd that had gathered in the wooden bleachers and were chatting excitedly. He walked straight to the wooden fence that separated the sandy circular square, where the fighting would take place, from the spectators. Sebastian had written a message to Ciel that he would be one of the first fighters of the day. This year there were a little fewer participants than usually, so everyone would be fighting earlier. The first opponents were always drawn by chance, which was why Ciel did not yet know who Sebastian would fight first. 

Ciel found a spot next to one of the two entrances to the sand court, which looked like the entry for gladiators into an arena. Although he knew that Sebastian was very strong and fast, he still worried that someone could hurt Sebastian. He wanted to be able to see as good as possible, so the place so far up front was perfect. Ciel's parents found two seats not far behind him, and the Midfords found their way to them. Lizzy and her brother Edward stood next to Ciel at the barrier and Lizzy excitedly told Ciel that her father was participating in the tournament. 

She had hardly finished speaking when one of the organizers voice was heard over the loudspeakers, greeted the audience and announced that everything was about to start. He wished all participants the best of luck and passed the microphone on to another man who would comment on what was happening in the sand court. 

The first fighter who was announced and entered the sandy court in full armor looked somehow familiar to Ciel. He had never seen him before, but the carefully combed back blonde hair, the angular face and the stern expression on it reminded him of someone. When his name was called out, Ciel knew of whom. The man was the father of the student Greenhill and one of the favorites of the tournament. 

Sebastian stepped onto the court across from him. He looked completely relaxed although his opponent was a head taller and significantly broader shouldered than him. Sebastian only wore hardened black leather instead of armor and had a second sword instead of a shield. He stopped near the entrance and observed the cheering crowd around him. Ciel called his name and seconds later Sebastian was standing in front of him. 

He placed one hand on Ciel's hand on the wooden fence and leaned close to him. "Would you give me a token?", he asked. Ciel cocked his head. "A token?", he asked confused. "Something from you for good luck.", Sebastian explained. Ciel considered briefly what he had with him that Sebastian could be carrying, but which would not hinder him in the fight. Then he reached for his shirt. Instead of buttons, it had a second row with buttonholes, and ribbons were plaited through both rows in a zigzag pattern and fastened the shirt. Ciel loosened the top ribbon so that the shirt slipped a little down his shoulders. He knotted the ribbon around Sebastian's wrist and pressed a quick kiss on his cheek. “Be merciful in battle. But don't let the others win.”, he ordered Sebastian, who was beaming with happiness. Sebastian nodded and turned to his opponent.


	19. could be worse

"It could be worse.", said Rachel. "Yes, that's right. It could be.”, Vincent agreed. “After all, he's polite and friendly. Strong too. He has his own house. Yes, that's really not that bad.", Rachel said and nodded. "If only he wasn't that much older...", Vincent muttered, saying what they were both thinking. Rachel frowned and shook her head. “It's okay that he's older. Ciel is of legal age. It really isn't that bad.", she insisted. 

Rachel and Vincent watched as Sebastian and Ciel slow danced together and giggled together over something that Sebastian whispered into Ciel's ear. Now that the tournament was over there was a party. The band was playing a romantic song and many couples were dancing close together to the tune, just like Sebastian and Ciel were doing. Sebastian had taken off his swords and tunic. Now his torso was bare. On his head he wore the laurel wreath that had been given to him at the award ceremony. Sebastian hadn't taken it off since Ciel had told him it looked good on him. 

When Sebastian had gotten declared the winner of the tournament, having easily defeated all of his opponents, he had walked straight to Ciel and kissed him on the lips in front of everyone. Afterwards, Ciel had nervously explained to his parents that he would be boyfriends with Sebastian from now on, which Rachel and Vincent had to process now. They hadn't even assumed that their son would prefer a man over women, but since they didn't have a problem with it, they just had to get used to it. Just like they had to get used to Sebastian himself. 

While Sebastian was dancing with Ciel, his first opponent Greenhill was drowning his frustration in liquor. He had never been defeated so quickly in any sport. He had always boasted with his athletic talent, and he had already seen the tournament as his victory. Had it not been for Sebastian, he would have won, so he told everyone who wanted to hear it or not. 

After the song ended, Sebastian led Ciel away from the dance floor. Coincidentally, they passed Greenhill's table and who promptly tripped Ciel. Ciel stumbled into Sebastian's arms and rubbed his shin with a groan of pain. Sebastian helped Ciel regain his balance. Before he could ask Greenhill to apologize, Greenhill stood up and started yelling. 

“Be careful where you step, little brat! If you weren't so busy making your man look good, then maybe you could notice when you trample on a stranger's foot! But you don't pay attention to that, do you? Rather seeing that your glorious hero is doing well! You gave him something before the tournament, didn't you? A little doping so he can feel strong? Little bitch! You should get some good punching!”, Greenhill roared. His son came running to him and tried to calm him down, but he had already said too much. Sebastian stared at him with bared teeth. “You will regret that! You will regret that, Greenhill!”, he hissed, too angry for more words.


	20. Greenhill apologizes

The next day the market and the tournament were the main topic of discussion at school. Many pupils talked about Sebastian in particular and Ciel fell victim to a few curious glances. Nobody had seen Sebastian fight until now, some had hardly seen him at all until now. Only a few of them knew something about him and who had heard something now passed on the rumors about the strange, fortune-telling Goth with the tame ravens that they had heard. Everyone was very impressed by Sebastian's easily accomplished win. 

Ciel was sitting with his friends in the school ground during the first break. They had asked him a dozen questions, Meyrin and Lizzy in particular were thrilled that Ciel and Sebastian were together now. When the topic of conversation finally changed, Bard got up and sat down right next to Ciel. "Hey, I want to ask you something. It's about a teammate of my cricket team.”, Bard began. He had been a member of the school's cricket team for years. "Which one?", asked Ciel, after all, the team wasn't particularly small. "Hermann Greenhill.", Bard replied. Ciel looked up in surprise. He hadn't thought of Greenhill for a long time, it wasn't until he saw his father at the tournament that it came back to him, so much had Greenhill left Ciel alone lately. 

“He's been nervous since yesterday. Today he approached me, I thought he was going to cry.", Bard told Ciel. He frowned at the floor as he thought of his conversation with Greenhill. "And?", Ciel asked. “He really wants to talk to you. Said something about important apologies, his father and a note. I don't know what exactly is going on, but he looked really panicked. So I thought I'd ask you if it's okay if I take you to cricket training after school so he can talk to you. I know he wasn't nice to you until he started ignoring you, so I just had to ask if you were really okay with that.", Bard explained. Ciel nodded hesitantly. After what Bard told him, Ciel's curiosity was piqued. He couldn't imagine anything that could make Greenhill panic, but Bard had no reason to lie. He was a good friend of Ciel and had never lied to him. 

When Ciel stood on the edge of the cricket pitch, he could assure himself that it wasn't a lie this time either. Greenhill immediately ran up to Bard and Ciel and began to stutter nervously and fidget on the spot. He kept glancing at Bard as if he was waiting for him to leave, but Bard had noticed at the time how mean Greenhill had been to Ciel and did not move from the spot until Ciel sent him away. Even then he stayed nearby. “Sorry, I just had to speak to you. It's... It's about ... No, at the very beginning I should apologize. I was far from being nice to you and there wasn't even a reason for it. I should have behaved better towards you. I'm sorry.”, Greenhill blurted out. His fingers seemed to be knotted together during the short speech and he took turns making eye contact with the floor and Ciel. Ciel nodded slowly, unsure of what to say. Greenhill looked so contrite he almost felt sorry for him. "You stopped it, that's the important thing.", Ciel said finally, as Greenhill didn't stop waiting for an answer. 

Greenhill let out a sigh of relief and cleared his throat. "There's something else I want to talk to you about.“, he mumbled and took a deep breath. Ciel nodded to give him courage and he began to talk fast and sudden like a waterfall. “It's about my father. He's sick and I found the same piece of paper in his pocket that I once found in mine and there are ravens in the garden and my mother had bad dreams, the kind she only has when something is wrong and maybe I'm just crazy, but I'm worried, after all, my father wanted to go to work today even though he is not feeling well and because he was so stubborn he almost fell down the stairs and I'm afraid that it would happen to him again and this time....“, Greenhill fell silent when he ran out of breath and rubbed his temples with his index fingers, then he looked down. 

"What my father said to you... he was drunk and upset and... and he's sorry, really.", Greenhill muttered, the latter sounding kind of rehearsed. "Really, he ... he didn't mean to say things like that to you, honestly, that... it just slipped out. He's actually not a bad person.", he stammered on. Greenhill's voice trembled and finally failed completely. “He's not really sorry, is he? You're just saying that. ", Ciel guessed and the guilty look that immediately appeared on Greenhill's face, let him know he was right. “Why is it so important to you that I forgive your father? What do I have to do with it?”, Ciel asked curiously. 

Greenhill eyed him shyly. "Aren't you mad at him anymore?", he asked, uncertain. "Me? Mad at the drunken idiot who made a fool of himself for having received a scratch in his pride?”, Ciel asked with a raised brow. Greenhill sighed in relief. He was so happy he started to smile, but that smile froze on his face. "Then Michaelis himself is still mad at him. Shoot, I should have known you didn't tell Michaelis to do that.”, he muttered. “What does Sebastian have to do with it now? What should he have done?", Ciel wanted to know confused. 

Greenhill took a deep breath and dug a hole in the ground with the tip of his shoe that he stared at in embarrassment. "Don't laugh, but I think Michaelis is responsible for my father being sick.", he muttered. Ciel stared at him in amazement. Greenhill didn't make the slightest impression that he was joking, on the contrary. He obviously expected Ciel not to believe him. “If it calms you down, I'll talk to Sebastian. I don't think you're right, but maybe he knows a cure for your father. At least he can keep the ravens out of your garden. Okay?”, Ciel finally suggested. He wanted to end the conversation on a positive note and was successful with it. Greenhill looked so relieved, as if Ciel had already healed his father. He thanked Ciel at least a dozen times and promised Ciel that he would not forget that and that he owed him.


	21. supermarket

"And did he really mean it?", Sebastian asked for what felt like the hundredth time, while he tossed another pack of sage into the shopping cart with the rest of them. Ciel rolled his eyes. "For the last time. Greenhill took his apology very seriously. It is quite possible that he would have apologized to me even if nothing had happened to his father.", Ciel replied. Sebastian took a large pack of rock salt and thought for a moment.

"Why does he think I have something to do with his father's sickness?", he asked and finally pushed the cart away from the small herb section of the supermarket. Ciel cast an irritated look at the contents of the shopping cart. "You can never have too much sage.", Sebastian explained and nodded, as if to agree with himself. “I thought you were going to make dinner for my parents and me. Should it only consist of herbs?”, he wanted to know. “We are far from finished with shopping. But while we're at it ... Do your parents have a favorite meal?”, Sebastian said. Ciel thought for a moment. “My mother is very fond of salads. My father... I don't know.", he muttered. Sebastian immediately got some lettuce.

“But the really important question is: do you forgive him?”, he wanted to know, grabbed a pepper and tossed it into the shopping cart like a basketball. "Who forgives whom?", Ciel asked, confused by the sudden change of subject. "You. Will you forgive Greenhill Senior after his son begged so kindly?”, Sebastian replied and fetched tomatoes. “The guy made a fool out of himself. I don't have to forgive anything.", Ciel said, leaned on Sebastian's shoulder and sighed. “I feel sorry for Greenhill. He was mean to me and I still feel sorry for him. I guess I'm soft-hearted.", he added.

Sebastian wrapped an arm around Ciel's waist and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "So you would prefer his father to get well?", he asked. Ciel nodded. "Yes, yes. But that will happen soon either way, won't it. He can hardly have more than one cold. Or does he?”, he replied. Sebastian nodded absentmindedly and pushed Ciel and the cart through the supermarket. "How about a chicken with the salad?", he asked.

By the time they got to the Phantomhives' house and Sebastian took over the kitchen, Ciel had almost forgotten about Greenhill. He dealt first with his homework, then with his parents, who surprisingly believed that a man who lived alone had very little culinary skills and first had to be convinced to try the chicken and salad. As Ciel had not expected otherwise, both tasted delicious. Vincent and Rachel were much more relaxed in Sebastian's presence now than they had been before. They didn't even look irritated when Sebastian topped up their stock of sage in the kitchen with half of what he'd bought.

When it finally got dark, Sebastian made his way home. Ciel accompanied him to the front door and bid him goodbye with a kiss. On the way through the semi-dark streets, Sebastian made a short detour. Coincidentally, he knew where the Greenhill family lived. When Sebastian rang the doorbell, it was the boy who went to Ciel's school who answered the door. He winced when he recognized Sebastian. "Here.", Sebastian said and pressed sage and salt into his hands. “Your father should pour this into a bath and bathe in it. Several times if you can get him to. As for the piece of paper you found: Burn it.”, Sebastian explained, turned around and left.

Greenhill stared at him in amazement. "Wait!", he called after Sebastian and took a step outside the door. Sebastian stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Did Ciel talk to you?", Greenhill asked. Sebastian frowned. “Otherwise why should I help? Be grateful to him.”, he replied and walked away. "I am. I really am.", Greenhill mumbled and had to grin. He watched Sebastian for a moment as he disappeared into the light fog, followed by his ravens, then he turned back to the house and went back inside.


	22. lifting a curse

It was already dark when Sebastian came home. He took off his jacket and boots, stretched, and fed his cats, who mewed hungrily, scratching at his legs. While the cats were happily eating in the kitchen, Sebastian went down to his basement. There he lit a couple of candles and closed the door behind him. He took a broom from the hook on the wall and began to sweep the room with it. It wasn't dusty, but it was more of a metaphorical sweeping.

After Sebastian finished, he took a piece of cloth from the shelf and unwrapped the wax doll from it. He'd stashed it there after using it the last time and the doll still bore the marks of that last treatment. Greenhill Senior's name was carved in the wax doll's belly and Sebastian had tied the whole doll with tape so that it would have been difficult for it to breathe had it been alive. Sebastian then placed the doll on the floor in the middle of the room.

"I call the spirits of the north and the earth.", Sebastian said as he walked north from the doll. From the northern side of the room, Sebastian threw a pinch of salt at the doll. Then he went further to the left and stood there facing the doll. "I call the spirits of the east and the air.", he said and threw a pinch of salt at the wax doll. He did the same again after walking on. "I call the spirits of the south and of the fire.", he said and went to the next side, from where he threw salt again. "I call the spirits of the west and the water.", he said.

Sebastian continued walking in circles, but this time did not stop. He kept throwing salt on the doll, around which he walked in ever tighter circles. “I break the bond of oppression and weakness that I have woven. I release Herrmann Greenhill Senior. Let go of him and do him no more harm. I'm calling back the misfortune that I brought on him.”, Sebastian explained as he circled through the room. The doll in the middle heated up under the salt that Sebastian threw on it. It became warm and therefore soft. When Sebastian finally got to the center of the room, the doll had melted a little so the name on it had faded.

A few days later, Greenhill was waiting for Ciel in front of the school. When he saw him, he immediately ran towards him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!", he shouted as he stopped in front of him, beaming with joy. Ciel stopped and blinked in confusion. "What for?", he asked. “You talked to Michaelis and he made sure that everything was fine again. My father is healthy! As healthy as he was before, as if nothing had happened. He is fine and I owe that to you. I really owe you something.", Greenhill babbled on.

Ciel opened his mouth, then closed it, only to open it again. He had almost forgotten Greenhill's problem and had been too distracted from his conversation with Sebastian to think about it any further. Completely puzzled, Ciel listened as Greenhill said that Sebastian had stopped by and that Greenhill had persuaded his father to take a bath that he had told him had been described on the Internet as an anti-cold bath. That had cleared the matter up and the next day Greenhill had noticed a significant improvement in the health of his Dad.

Ciel thought about this as he went home. Sure, there were bath products that were actually good for your health, but just taking a bath in sage and salt couldn't miraculously cure you. Greenhill Sr. must have done more to heal himself, catching up on sleep, drinking tea and stuff like that. The son attributed the whole thing to Sebastian because he thought he had been responsible for the problem in the first place. Yes, it had to be like that.

When Ciel got home he heard a familiar, high-pitched voice from the living room. Grell sat next to Rachel on the couch and excitedly talked about something. The two were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't even notice Ciel when he glanced into the living room. Ciel decided not to interrupt the two, but to ask his mother later what Grell was so happy about. He went into the kitchen, where he met William, who was making tea. "Hello.", William said and pulled out another cup for Ciel. “Hello, William. How come you're here. Are youhaving a day off?”, he asked. Actually, William should be at work. “I was done earlier, so I accompanied Grell. She really wanted to spread the news, that's why we're here.", William explained and a rare smile crept onto his face. Ciel stared at William in amazement. "Grell is pregnant.", William explained. Ciel flinched. "So Sebastian was right?”, he asked. William nodded. "He knew it, that's true.", he replied.


	23. past

"How long have you known Sebastian?", Ciel asked when William poured him tea. “Since we were eight or nine years old. Why do you ask?”, Will replied. Ciel took a sip of tea and put the cup back down. “I just noticed that Sebastian never told me anything about his past. The topic didn't turn up, but I'm curious about it.”, he admitted. William just nodded and stared into his own cup. "I don't think he'd like to tell you about it.", he said after a short while. Ciel looked at him questioningly. “He didn't exactly have a happy childhood. And I say that without even knowing why his parents gave him away.", Will explained.

Ciel looked at him curiously and leaned forward a little. “His parents gave him away? Voluntarily?”, he asked. “As I said, I don't know why he ended up in the nursing home. I just know that there must have been some kind of problem with his family. Sebastian never told me about it, he didn't talk to anyone about it. In general, he hardly spoke to anyone.", Will explained. Ciel continued to look at him intently, as if he were waiting for William to continue speaking, which he did in response to the silent request.

“Sebastian was an outsider all his youth. You can see for yourself that he still doesn't fit in with all the other people. He has always spent his time either walking around in the woods or sticking his nose into books about occult subjects. Normally none of this was a problem. He left everyone else alone and everyone else left him alone.", William said and fell silent for a few minutes until Ciel asked. "What do you mean by normally?", he wanted to know.

"There was an incident once.", William explained and remained silent again. He fiddled with the handle of his cup and frowned. "What incident?", Ciel asked. William took off his glasses and started cleaning them. “I don't think I should tell you about it. He would certainly be angry at me.", he explained and put the glasses back on. Ciel sighed. "How am I supposed to take care of him and make sure that he doesn't harm anyone like you said, when I don't know about everything?", Ciel asked. William looked up at him in amazement. "How do you know that he did something to someone?", he wanted to know. Ciel cocked his head questioningly. "So he did do something to someone?", he asked. William bit his lip and looked away.

“He didn't start it. It was the other boys from the home who started it.", he said after a short while. He sounded like he wanted to justify Sebastian. "What exactly happened?", Ciel wanted to know suspiciously. He didn't feel good about the way William was talking about the matter. “That was when Sebastian had his first raven. He found the poor thing hurt and fed and nursed it. Soon the raven followed him everywhere and sat on his shoulder all the time. Before I've never seen Sebastian as happy as he was with that animal.”, William began to tell.

"What happened?", Ciel wanted to know when William paused again while speaking. “They killed the animal. I don't think it was their intention that it died, but at least they could have known something bad can happen if you throw stones at an animal, that should even be clear to children, almost teenagers. Sebastian was devastated when he found the bird. He didn't eat for several days and didn't leave his room. Then he started asking questions. He wanted to know who did that and found out in no time. After that he suddenly acted as if nothing had happened. He was just a little more withdrawn than usual, that was all.", William told Ciel. "That was all? What do you mean, that was all?”, Ciel asked confused. William looked at him thoughtfully.

"Do you believe in karma?" He asked. Ciel frowned in confusion. "No. What does that have to do with it?”, he replied. William put his fingertips together, forming a tent. “I never believed in it before. Actually, I don't do that now either, but... well, the thing is that something gradually happened to each of the boys who were involved in the killing of Sebastian's bird. One broke his leg, another an arm, the third fell from a tree and had a light concussion.... And there was something strange about all of these accidents. They could have been prevented so easily. It's quite weird. As if Sebastian had gotten revenge for his bird without attacking them personally. Besides, he previously... ", William explained and suddenly broke off the sentence.

As if nothing had happened, he took a sip of tea. “It was then that Sebastian started with tarot cards and keeping plants in his room. Well, that's it now It's been a long time.", he added. Ciel stared at the tabletop. "Poor Sebastian.", he muttered. He tried to imagine a younger version of Sebastian burying a dead raven. It was a sad thought.


	24. William knows

William had just given his order to the barista when Sebastian stepped into the cafe. He had seen William through the window and was walking hastily towards him. “How can you tell Ciel things like that? What did you think?”, he hissed angrily as he stopped right in front of Will. William flinched a little, surprised by the anger he was suddenly faced with. “I told him next to nothing. If you know from Ciel that I talked about your youth, you will probably know what I said and you will be able to guess that for yourself.", he replied. Sebastian turned on his heel and motioned for William to come along. 

The two went to an empty table as far away as possible from any other guests. “What did Ciel say to you? Did he appear to know?”, William asked. Sebastian drummed his black-polished fingernails on the tabletop. "I don't think he knows.", he admitted. William shrugged. "Then you don't need to be so upset.”, he said. Sebastian just snorted disparagingly, whereupon William sighed and leaned forward. “Now listen.”, Will said, “I told Ciel about the incident with the raven and that you were always a loner. Basically that was all. I accidentally implied that you had something to do with what happened to the boys, but I didn't prove that with a single word. I also didn't tell him that you predicted beforehand what would happen to them.", Sebastian took a deep breath and crossed his arms. 

"What did Ciel say to you that you got so upset?", Will wanted to know. “He didn't upset me. That he knew something upset me. All he said to me was that you told him a bit about my past. He wanted me to know. He didn't tell me more, he just mentioned it by the way.", Sebastian explained. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the tabletop. A few strands of hair fell into his face and he shook them aside. “You worry that he will find out something. That he could find out, but not from you.", William stated. Sebastian nodded and sighed again. "Why should he find out?", William asked after considering the question for a moment. 

“Do you remember that guy who yelled at Ciel at the party after the tournament? His son goes to Ciel's school. Both father and son have suffered from me and it seems that for some reason Junior noticed that it had something to do with me. He told Ciel that he thinks I was the cause of the illness his father had.”, Sebastian explained. William frowned. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one could hear them, then leaned closer to Sebastian. "Does the boy have the sixth sense?", he asked quietly. Sebastian shook his head. “Not in the slightest. Even Ash has more of it than this boy, he's that normal.", he explained. "But he was right anyway?", Will asked. Sebastian looked aside. "I've already undone that.", he muttered sheepishly. William frowned and leaned back. 

"The father-son duo hasn't been your only victim lately, has it?", he asked. Sebastian looked at him suspiciously and slowly shook his head. "How many were there?", William asked. Sebastian puffed air through his teeth and waved a hand dismissively. "That is not important. Why do you ask such a thing? There were only a few. Ciel got bullied too much at school for me to leave them alone.”, he growled. William sighed. He started to say more when the barista called out his name and placed his order on the counter. William got up and got the paper bag. When he came back to the table, Sebastian had just gotten up. William pulled him back and sat back down across from him. 

"You should tell Ciel about it.", he said. Sebastian stared at him in confusion. "Are you crazy? Even if I do, he won't believe me anyway.”, he replied. William adjusted his glasses and looked sternly at Sebastian. “If you're worried that Ciel might find out because someone from his school suspects something, then you can expect him to believe you too. And it's better for him to find out from you than through incidents or... someone else.", Will explained. "You're not up to something, are you?", Sebastian asked suspiciously. William hastily shook his head. “Of course not, you fool. If I had wanted to tell him, I would have already done it. I'm referring to Ash. If that little boy suspects something, then Ash may even know what you recently caused. At least he'll try to get to the Phantomhives when he finds out you're dating Phantomhive Junior.", Will explained his train of thought. 

Sebastian was silent and bowed his head. His gaze fell on the paper bag William had in front of him and he glanced inside. "Since when do you like strawberry cake?", he asked surprised. William pulled the bag away from Sebastian. “It's not for me, it's for Grell. She says she has been craving strawberries ever since she got pregnant.", Will explained. Sebastian looked up at him with a smile. “Grell is pregnant? Congratulations. Give her my best regards. I'll bake her a strawberry cake soon and make her a necklace with a tiger's eye and bring both over to your house.”, Sebastian said. William smiled a little. "Thanks.", he said.


	25. in the hospital wing

After talking to William, Sebastian was thoughtful. He said goodbye to Will and went to pick Ciel up from school. As he did so, he thought about what William had said to him. Surely it would be better if Sebastian was the one who explained everything about himself to Ciel. But would Ciel believe a word he'd say? Sebastian would have to have evidence to show that he could actually do what he could do. 

When he got to school, Sebastian leaned against the large gate on the edge of the school yard and waited. The crowd of students streamed out of the school building just in time for the end of the last lesson. A few glanced at Sebastian, but most of the students ignored him. Sebastian watched the crowd closely, but couldn't see Ciel in it. When everyone had gradually passed him and there was no trace of Ciel, Sebastian was a bit confused. He took out his cell phone and texted Ciel where he was. He only had to wait a minute for the answer. All Ciel wrote back to him was the word hospital wing. Sebastian immediately started running. 

Although he didn't know his way around the school building, Sebastian found the hospital wing after a short time. He was worrying all the way there. He hoped that nothing had happened to Ciel, at least nothing serious. He mentally went through every imaginable injury. Maybe Ciel had broken a bone while tripping over something, or he had broken out a fever, maybe he got a sprain in gym class. Sebastian finally arrived at the right room. He tore the door open without bothering to knock. The room was as good as deserted, only the nurse, Lizzy and Ciel were there. 

Ciel was lying on a bed, feet on the raised side of it. Lizzy held his hand and turned in surprise to Sebastian, who ran towards her and yanked her away from Ciel and pushed her aside. “Ciel, what happened? How are you?”, Sebastian asked and leaned over Ciel, who looked surprised at first, but then began to smile. “I only had a problem with my circulation for a short moment. Calm down, I'm fine by now.", he said and pulled Sebastian down to hug him. Sebastian wrapped his arms around Ciel and held him as tightly as possible without hurting him. "I was worried.", Sebastian muttered. 

He was interrupted by the nurse who cleared her throat. Sebastian looked up and studied her. "And you are?", asked the nurse. "Sebastian Michaelis. Ciel's boyfriend. Did you take care of him? Thank you.“, Sebastian replied. The nurse nodded in satisfaction. "All right, you can stay there.", she said and walked out of the room with Lizzy in tow. Sebastian pressed his nose to Ciel's neck and took a deep breath. "I was worried.", he repeated, "Are you really okay?" Ciel smiled and stroked his hair. 

He pressed a loving kiss on Sebastian's forehead. “I didn't get around to writing you a longer text in which I could have explained that. I got up late this morning and couldn't get any breakfast. That's why I almost fainted. But only almost. Lizzy overreacted a little and insisted on bringing me here.", Ciel explained. Sebastian pressed his face to Ciel's chest. “I guess I'm grateful to Lizzy. Even if she had no right to hold your hand.”, he muttered. 

Ciel gave a short laugh. "You're jealous.", he stated. Sebastian made a face. "I'm not.", he grumbled. But his bad mood melted when Ciel pressed more kisses on his head and forehead. “All right, maybe I'm a little jealous. Why shouldn't I be. I'm your significant other, not her.”, he said. Ciel placed his hands on Sebastian's cheeks and kissed him gently on the lips. “You don't need to be jealous. Lizzy is like a sister to me. And besides, she's a girl and I'm gay.”, he explained. Sebastian nodded indulgently. "Come on”, he said, lifting Ciel bridal style,"I'll take you home."


	26. seance

Sebastian carried Ciel on one arm and held Ciel's school bag in the other hand. That way he carried Ciel all the way from school. Lizzy, who had been waiting outside the hospital room, ran after them. She babbled on without stop, initially about worrying about Ciel, then about new topics. Sebastian soon couldn't bear to listen to her anymore, but he said nothing against her, since she was friends with Ciel. Ciel endured Lizzy's chatter in silence and held onto Sebastian. Lizzy finally stopped at a crossroad and suggested that the three of them could go to her house. Ciel's parents weren't home, which meant two fewer people to take care of Ciel's health. Sebastian looked at Ciel, who shrugged but let Lizzy convince him. So they accepted the invitation to the Midford house. 

It was a beautiful two-story house with a garden, just like the Phantomhives', only it was two streets away. Lizzy led Sebastian and Ciel inside and straight up the stairs to her room. Sebastian sat Ciel down on Lizzy's pink bed and looked around. The walls were also pink, the closet was overflowing with dresses, teddy bears sat in a row on the bookshelf. It was an extremely clichéd room that Sebastian didn't find appealing, but he kept his thoughts to himself. At least until Lizzy went into the kitchen for tea and cookies. "What an ugly room.", Sebastian muttered. Ciel shrugged. "As long as we don't have to live in it, it is bearable.", he replied. 

A moment later, Lizzy came in with a tray. "We were just talking about how nicely your room is decorated.", Ciel said as she poured tea into the cups. "Yeah, it's so cute, isn't it?", Lizzy said, handing Ciel a plate of cookies. “I really like it. This is especially interesting.”, said Sebastian. When Lizzy and Ciel looked at him to see what he meant, they saw that he had found an ouija board. "Oh... that, well, that was a birthday present. From a friend who didn't know that I am not interested in something like that.", Lizzy stuttered, embarrassed, while Sebastian put the board down in the middle of the room. 

“And have you ever used it? Did it work?“, Sebastian wanted to know. His attention was now completely absorbed, although a moment ago he had been bored. “We tried it at my birthday party, but nothing at all happened. Don't tell me you think it's interesting?”, Lizzy replied. Sebastian nodded. "Shall we try it?", he asked, addressing more to Ciel than to Lizzy. "Why should it work now?", Lizzy asked. Sebastian looked back and forth between her and Ciel. "Maybe it will work if I'm there.", he said finally. Ciel exchanged a look with Lizzy and nodded. "Fine, why not.", he said. 

Lizzy fetched candles and a glass at Sebastian's request, while Sebastian carefully pulled the curtains closed. They sat down in a circle in the middle of the room, Sebastian scattered the candles in the corners and lit them. Then Sebastian turned the glass so the bottom was facing up and placed it on the board between the words yes and no written on it and above the alphabet. “Now you put both index fingers on the glass and hold them very still. Be careful not to move the glass yourself, but to go along with every movement it makes.”, Sebastian instructed. For a short while everyone concentrated solely on the glass. 

“Is anyone here? Does anyone want to contact us? “, Sebastian asked after a while. The glass seemed to vibrate. Lizzy's eyes widened and Ciel was also surprised, while Sebastian, however, watched very calmly as the glass moved trembling to the word yes and stopped on it. "What's your name?", Sebastian asked. The glass began to move again. It moved vibrating across the board and stopped briefly at different letters. Sebastian moved his lips and silently formed each letter. "Claudia.", he said at the end, "Does either of you two know a deceased Claudia?" Ciel and Lizzy looked up from the glass. "My grandmother's name was Claudia.", Ciel said. Sebastian nodded and focused again on the glass. 

"Claudia, are you coming with a message?" He asked. The glass moved to the word yes. Sebastian glanced at Ciel. “What kind of message? What is it about?”, he asked. Ciel eyed him skeptically. "Will she tell me about my future or something?”, he whispered. "Maybe. It could be important.", Sebastian replied, eyes fixed on the glass, which shook briefly before it wrote a word. "M-O-T-H-E-R", Lizzy read aloud with it. She looked up at Sebastian. "What does that mean?", she asked, but Sebastian ignored her. He frowned at the board. "Claudia, do you want to warn Rachel?", he asked. The glass slowly and moved to the word yes, where it suddenly stopped. “I think that was all. She won't tell us more.", Sebastian said and took his fingers from the glass. "Wait! What warning? What about my mother?”, Ciel asked surprised. 

Sebastian shrugged his shoulders and thoughtfully tapped his index finger against his chin. “We'll have to find out on our own. After all, we were warned.”, he said. Ciel straightened up and looked back and forth between the glass and Sebastian. “But she didn't say anything revealing to us. Anything could happen. We're not smarter than before, just more worried.”, he complained. Sebastian let his gaze slide to Ciel. He took his hand and squeezed it. “Try to stay calm. We can rule out a few things. Accidents, for example, won't happen to Rachel. It is something that is slowly emerging, otherwise Claudia would not have known it. And when we know, I'll do what I can to help.”, he explained. Shortly afterwards Sebastian and Ciel said goodbye to Lizzy and went to Ciel's house. Rachel was at home now and Sebastian had a chat with her. After a few minutes he found out that she had no problems at work and got her to go to the doctor for a check-up soon without mentioning the seance.


	27. needles

Ciel ran through the woods to Sebastian's house. By now he could find the way to it. At least for some reason Ciel always made it to Sebastian's house when he ran straight into the woods. Ciel hopped up the three steps to Sebastian's porch and knocked on the door. He just had to wait a moment before Sebastian opened it. Sebastian was wearing only a pair of pants, no shirt or socks, and he was holding a cup of coffee. "Good morning, darling.", Sebastian greeted him, leaned forward and pressed his nose into Ciel's hair. Then he stepped aside to let Ciel in. 

Ciel led the way into Sebastian's living room, where he collapsed on the sofa. He took off his shoes and pulled up his knees, curled up into a ball. Sebastian put his cup aside and sat down next to him. "What's wrong?", he wanted to know, placing an arm around Ciel. Ciel snuggled up against Sebastian and leaned against his shoulder. “Claudia and you were right. My mother is ill. She was at the doctor yesterday.", Ciel said and sighed. He sat down on Sebastian's lap and pressed his face to Sebastian's chest. Sebastian hugged him tightly and stroked Ciel's hair with one hand. He leaned his chin on Ciel's head and was silent to give Ciel the time to keep talking. Ciel pressed into the comforting embrace. It felt good to let Sebastian hold him tightly. Ciel had only wanted to see him since he got the news. "There is a tumor in her stomach.", Ciel mumbled after a while. 

Sebastian didn't stop caressing and holding Ciel. However, his thoughts began to work and circle. He had promised he would help and he would keep his word. A simple tumor shouldn't be a problem for him, he thought. But he could also take advantage of the situation. There would rarely be such a good chance of showing Ciel what he could do. Then Ciel would probably find out for himself what Sebastian was. Sebastian picked Ciel up bridal style and carried him to the attic. There he sat Ciel on one of the cushions and went down to the basement, from where he got the wax doll and some pin needles. Back at Ciel's side, he sat down next to him and began inserting the needles into the doll. 

"What are you doing?", Ciel wanted to know while he watched. “I'm starting with a spell. We imagine the doll is Rachel and pull the needles out of her. This way we pull out the bad, in this case her bad health.”, Sebastian explained. He placed the needle-filled doll on his altar and pulled Ciel onto his lap. "And that is supposed to help her?", Ciel asked confused. “I'll cast more spells than just this one. Together they should help very well. And besides, she continues to go to the doctor and receive treatment. Together with the doctor we can make her healthy again.”, Sebastian said. Ciel still looked skeptical, but Sebastian stopped explaining and started telling the doll that it symbolized Rachel. After he finished, he took it from his altar and began pulling out the needles. 

“Rachel, I free you from your suffering. You shall be fine. Rachel, I free you from your suffering. You shall get well.", he said. Ciel listened and watched him confused, but said nothing, just joined in and pulled the needles out of the doll. "And that really helped her?", he asked at the end. Sebastian nodded and told the doll that she was no longer Rachel. “As I said, that's not all. But I'm sure Rachel will feel better at this moment.”, Sebastian explained. He studied Ciel's expression carefully. There was only irritation, no disgust in it. “I said I will help. But I'll do it my way I promise you, Rachel will really get well again.", he said and looked at Ciel questioningly. Ciel was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. I know you wouldn't lie to me.", he said. "Never.", Sebastian confirmed and kissed him. 

When Ciel came home later, his mother was lying on the sofa drinking tea. Ciel sat down next to her and asked how she was. Rachel sat up and gently stroked Ciel's hair. "Don't worry about me. I am fine. I know one wouldn't think so, but it is true. I'm not even in pain anymore.", she said. Ciel cocked his head questioningly. "Not anymore?", he asked. “Oh, a few hours ago I had a stomach ache, but then it suddenly subsided. I had a strange feeling for a few moments, then the pains were just gone. As if someone just took it away. It's strange, but I'm relieved. Come on, let's have some lunch.", said Rachel. She got up and went into the kitchen, while Ciel stared at her stunned.


	28. potion

Ciel eyed the herbal brew that Sebastian was boiling skeptically. He said nothing, but Sebastian could tell that he had questions. Ciel had told him that Rachel had been in less pain since they had performed the spell on the doll. However, he had not said whether he actually believed it was the doll or whether he thought it was a coincidence. Sebastian thought it possible that Ciel simply dismissed it as some kind of crazyness that was normal for Sebastian and did not believe what he was witnessing. 

Sebastian was at the home of the Phantomhives. Vincent was in his office, Rachel was in bed, resting. Only Ciel kept Sebastian company while he stood in the kitchen and made what he called a tea. It consisted of herbs that Sebastian had collected and dried in warmer times. He boiled them together and poured the result through a sieve so that a clear, green brew came out in a large cup. Then he brought it to Rachel. 

Sebastian had made Rachel a bracelet out of some gems, had mixed a herbal mixture for baths together for her and regularly repeated the spell with the doll. And Rachel got better and better. She found Sebastian's gifts and sympathy touching and thanked him for everything he brought her. Even for the tea he made her drink, although it didn't taste particularly good, which Sebastian had tried to change with honey. 

"Was that some kind of magic potion?", Ciel asked as he and Sebastian left his mother's room. Sebastian nodded. "You could say so. Even if the effect comes primarily from the medicinal herbs. I only gave her healthy things, don't worry.", he replied. Ciel nodded lost in thought. "And that will help her?", he asked. “Ask the doctors. I'm sure she is better than she would be if I hadn't done anything.”, Sebastian said. “She's going to have an operation soon. Then they remove the tumor.”, Ciel said. 

He hopped down the last flight of stairs and went to the living room window front. Outside, the first snow of the year fell from the sky in thick flakes. A thin layer of snow had already spread over the area. Ciel opened the door and a rush of cold air came in. Sebastian stepped up next to him and placed an arm around him to warm him. "It's Christmas soon.", Ciel stated. He stepped out onto the lawn and crouched down. With his hands he pushed snow together and formed a ball out of it. 

Sebastian knelt beside him and watched. "Will your family be celebrating Christmas?", he asked and Ciel nodded. "What about you?", he wanted to know. Sebastian shook his head. “I usually leave it be. But maybe William and Grell will invite me this year.”, he replied. Ciel began to form a second smaller snow ball. “You could celebrate Christmas with us. Maybe I can persuade mother and father to invite you and Grell and Will.", he said and put the smaller ball on the bigger one. Sebastian smiled and formed an even smaller ball. "That would be nice.", he said and put it on Ciel's snow balls, so that a little snowman was created.


	29. church

On Christmas Eve, the Phantomhives went to church for mass. Ciel would have preferred to stay at home, but his parents insisted on taking him with them. Sebastian, who had politely refused to attend church, stayed alone in their house. Ciel's parents had invited him not only for Christmas but for the holidays and had allowed him to bring his cats. The three of them explored their new surroundings with interest and crept around the Christmas tree somewhat skeptical. 

Sebastian adjusted Ciel's tie and kissed him goodbye on the forehead. Then Ciel went to his father's car and got in. While Vincent drove off, Ciel looked out the window and watched Sebastian get smaller in the distance until they turned a bend and he could no longer be seen. Vincent parked next to the Midfords' car in front of the church. Lizzy ran to Ciel as soon as he got out of the car, hugged him and said he would look really cute in his suit. Then Ciel had to admire Lizzy's dress, let Aunt Francis tug on his hair and be shoved into the church. 

Ciel didn't particularly like church services. He was not a believer and got bored easily in church. The pastor's religious talk quickly got on his nerves. But Rachel liked it a lot, so Ciel didn't complain. On the one hand, so as not to hurt her feelings, on the other hand, because only a few weeks ago he had asked himself how many services she could still see. But this concern seemed unfounded, Rachel was doing surprisingly well and Ciel wondered if Sebastian could really be responsible for it. A question that he had thought about a thousand times and that he simply didn't know the answer to. 

In the church they sat next to the Spears. The couple would later come to the Phantomhives' home to celebrate with them. Grell stood out clearly in the crowd with her red hair and the red clothes she was wearing. She was now three months pregnant and the baby bump could be seen a bit. While Grell talked to Ciel's parents, her husband stared at the pastor who was standing by the altar shaking hands with people. If Ciel hadn't known that William always looked like he had just bitten into a lemon, he would have been immediately convinced that he couldn't stand the pastor. 

Ciel only noticed after the service that this was in fact true. They were about to leave the church when the pastor came up to them and held out his hand to William, who took it hesitantly and with an annoyed expression on his face. "William, it was a long time ago, wasn't it?", said the pastor. "Indeed it was, Ash.", Will replied. Ciel looked up in surprise. The name sounded familiar. William noticed Ciel's gaze and made a quick wave of his hand in his direction to indicate that he should go to his parents. "Ash, do you already know my wife?", he asked at the same time, but it was too late, Ash had already noticed Ciel. 

“You're Frances Midford's nephew, aren't you? Young Phantomhive.”, he said, shaking Ciel's hand. Ciel had barely nodded when Ash continued. “I heard you frequently visit Michaelis. This is not good for you, the man is crazy. The hermit life also goes to his head and who knows what he does in the forest all day. It can't be good things, he's not even a good Christian. Never goes to church, but I know exactly that he was baptized when he was twelve.", Ash told Ciel. "How do you know that?", Ciel asked confused. "Why, I was in the same children's home as him and William.", Ash replied. 

Before Ciel could express his surprise, Rachel stepped up to him. “Ciel, we want to leave. Oh, hello Pastor.", she said and shook Ash's hand. Ash eyed Rachel closely and didn't let go of her hand. "Something is wrong with you.", he stated. Rachel blinked in confusion. "How do you know?", she asked. Ash's face darkened. “Michaelis interferes, doesn't he? He's the only one in town who could. Don't trust him. Trust in the doctors and in God alone.”, he advised urgently. Rachel withdrew her hand and slowly nodded. "Yes... of course.", she mumbled uncertainly. "If you'll excuse us, we have to go.", William interfered. He hooked his arms through Grell's and Rachel's and pulled them both away from Ash while Ciel followed him.


	30. christmas

Back at home, Ciel went straight to the kitchen. Sebastian was standing there at the stove, wearing an apron and stirring a saucepan. He left the pots and pans alone to hug Ciel, who was holding on to him. It was good to come home to the warmth and to Sebastian. Ciel pressed his nose against Sebastian's chest and breathed in his scent. "Is something wrong?", Sebastian asked after a short while, in which Ciel hadn't let go of him. Ciel shook his head and loosened his grip. “I don't particularly like churches. And the pastor was kind of weird. It's nice to be with you again.", Ciel replied and kissed Sebastian on the cheek before he left the kitchen. He passed by William, who hurried to Sebastian with a serious face and began to talk to him in a low voice. 

Ciel wondered briefly what the two were talking about as he went up the stairs to his room. There he took off his suit and put on simple pants and a nice looking sweater instead. His parents changed too, and the Spears were already wearing comfortable clothes. Ciel went back downstairs and sat down next to Grell on the sofa. She immediately started telling Ciel all kinds of things. Meanwhile, Will and Sebastian set the table. Sebastian looked a bit absent, but Ciel couldn't guess what he was thinking about and when they all sat down, he was completely in the present again. 

Sebastian sat next to Ciel at the long table in the living room, around which they had all gathered. Before they started to eat, Vincent said a few words about how happy he was that they could all celebrate together. They toasted to his short speech with their glasses, then began to eat. Sebastian had cooked and fed the cats while everyone else was in church. There was roast duck with mashed potatoes and red cabbage. Everyone talked at once during the meal, and the conversation went on across the table. They praised Sebastian's culinary skills and Grell answered a number of questions about what she couldn't eat since she was pregnant. The topics covered the house and the garden, the cold weather outside and the pastor's speech in the church. Ciel considered talking to Sebastian about Ash, but left the topic alone. 

After dinner they spread with tea and cookies in the living room and opened gifts. Ciel received a notebook from William, a red self-knitted scarf from Grell, drawing materials from his parents and from Sebastian a silver ring with a purple stone. The latter was very much admired by everyone. Ciel put it on and resolved not to take it off again. 

Later, when Ciel and Sebastian were lying in bed together, Ciel was still wearing the ring. "If you look closely, you notice that the color is a mixture of the red shade of your eyes and the blue of my left eye.", Ciel stated, while he looked at the ring in the moonlight. Sebastian pressed a kiss on Ciel's forehead. “I didn't even notice. I took the ring because it's the color of your right eye.", he replied. Ciel snuggled closer to Sebastian. The steady rise and fall of Sebastian's chest relaxed him and made him sleepy. Soon Ciel fell asleep in Sebastian's arms.


	31. Sebastian explains

They spent the holidays together comfortably. Most of the days Sebastian and Ciel were pretty much glued to each other and relaxed together. Time passed too quickly, in their opinion. Sebastian soon said goodbye and moved back to his forest with his cats. Since Ciel was still on vacation, they still spent most of the day together. Ciel came into the forest every day and stayed with Sebastian almost until the sun went down. 

On one of the last days of the Christmas vacation, Ciel ran to Sebastian's house. The snowy forest around him looked beautiful, but today he ignored it. He really had to speak to Sebastian. Finally he was at Sebastian's front door. He knocked as loudly as he could and almost at the same moment Sebastian opened the door and let him in. Ciel took off his coat and boots and went into the living room, where Sebastian's cats immediately came up to him and ran around him and meowed. Ciel turned to Sebastian and eyed him carefully, as if he were seeing him for the first time. Sebastian, who had just wanted to kiss him, paused at his gaze and looked at him questioningly. 

“My mother had an operation last night. The Doctors say the tumor was tiny. Not even half of what was there at the beginning. It just shrunk.", Ciel explained hastily. Sebastian smiled. "That's nice to hear.", he said. Ciel took a step towards him. "How did you do this? You did something, I know that, you showed me after all, but how did it work? I don't understand.", Ciel wanted to know. Sebastian's smile faded a little and he took Ciel's hand. "Come with me. I will explain it to you. You're going to think I'm crazy, but I'll explain it to you anyway.”, he said. 

Sebastian led Ciel into the hallway towards the kitchen. Instead of going into the kitchen or through the right door that led into the attic, he opened the left door. Followed by Ciel he went down the spiral staircase and into the round room under Sebastian's house, where he lit a few candles. Ciel looked around. He gazed at the floor with the pentagram painted on it and the shelf with the strange things on it. "Where are we?", Ciel wanted to know confused. “In my secret basement. This is where I go when I want something done. Something that other people can't do. I mean normal people.”, Sebastian explained. 

He came up to Ciel and took his hands into his own. “As long as I can remember, I haven't been normal. I've always been able to... influence things. Everything around me. That's why I never fit in with everyone else. And that's why I started looking for something as a child that could help me deal with it. And this something is called witchcraft.”, Sebastian explained. He led Ciel to the center of the pentagram on the floor. There he concentrated and whispered a few words. In the next moment, small red flames formed around the two of them. They danced in the air and only stayed as long as Sebastian maintained his concentration. When he turned his focus back to Ciel, they disappeared. 

“When I use symbols like this one in which we are standing, I can direct and control my power. This also works with herbs and gemstones. They all have their own energy that I can use in harmony with mine. Animals react to me too. They trust me, see me as special.”, Sebastian continued. Ciel listened to him with wide eyes. "Wait.", he said, before Sebastian could speak further, "Are you saying that you are... something like a witch?" Sebastian looked down and nodded. Ciel stared at him. All sorts of thoughts and memories were buzzing through his head. "Really with magic and everything?", he asked. Sebastian nodded again and looked up at him shyly. There was silence for a few minutes. "That... explains a lot.", Ciel finally mumbled. He squeezed Sebastian's hands, turned around and went back to the stairs, pulling Sebastian with him. "Come on, I need some tea.", he said. 

In the kitchen, Ciel looked lost in thought at the bundles of herbs that hung from the ceiling while Sebastian made tea. Sebastian kept giving him nervous looks. He would have loved to know what was going on in Ciel's head, but he had never been able to read minds. Only after he had had a sip of tea did Ciel say something again. "So you healed my mother with your magical powers?", he asked. Sebastian nodded. "Yes, I did. For the most part, anyway. The doctors did the rest.”, he said. Ciel smiled and kissed Sebastian on the cheek. "Thank you.", he said. Sebastian returned his smile. "Of course. Anything for you.", he replied. Ciel asked a few more questions, which Sebastian answered with relief. It seemed as if Ciel took it all well.


	32. everything gets settled

Sebastian tugged nervously at his tie. He hadn't worn a tie in years. In general, he felt silly in his formal suit. But maybe it was just out of habit. According to Ciel, at least he was looking handsome. Ciel held Sebastian's hand in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. The ring sparkled on his finger, the obsidian chain hung around his neck, otherwise he was dressed similarly to Sebastian. The elevator door opened with a quiet bing noise and Ciel stepped out, pulling Sebastian with him. Ciel glanced at the room numbers, orientated himself, then walked purposefully to the left down the hall. 

Soon they had arrived at the right room. Rachel was lying in her hospital bed looking tired. Vincent sat on a chair next to her, holding her hand and smiling happily. He finally stopped worrying about her now that the doctors had announced her miracle cure. He got up and got a vase when Sebastian and Ciel came in. “How nice that you come to visit me. But that wouldn't have been necessary, I'll be back home shortly. The doctors just want to keep me there a little longer for observation.", Rachel said. She reached out a hand to Ciel and squeezed his hand which Vincent freed from the flowers. 

They talked about Rachel's operation for a while, then had some small talk. Finally Sebastian couldn't hold back any longer. "I want to marry Ciel.", he burst out. Vincent and Rachel fell silent and stared at him with wide eyes. "I beg your pardon?”, Vincent murmured. Ciel raised his hand with the ring he had received from Sebastian on Christmas. “We decided this should be an engagement ring. When I finish school we'll get married and I'll move in with Sebastian.", Ciel explained and smiled happily. "How long ago have these plans been made?", Vincent asked. “Yesterday", said Sebastian. He looked at Ciel from the side and he couldn't help but smile. After Ciel had accepted him for who he was, Sebastian couldn't have helped but bring forward the marriage proposal he had planned. 

Rachel took Sebastian's free hand and squeezed it. “You have my blessing, Sebastian. You are a good man. I know you would do anything for Ciel.", she said. Sebastian had to laugh a little. "Oh yes, I would.", he replied. He, Rachel and Ciel turned to Vincent and looked at him questioningly. Vincent was still busy blinking confused, but when all eyes were on him he cleared his throat. "Is good. You have my blessings too.”, he grumbled. 

When Sebastian and Ciel left Rachel's room, they were in a good mood and talked about the upcoming wedding. They were about to leave the hospital when someone came towards them that neither of them had expected. Ash made a sour face when he saw Sebastian and came up to him. "Let me guess. You interfere with Misses Phantomhive. Some of your air was sticking to her when I last saw her.", he said. Sebastian frowned and stepped a little in front of Ciel. “I'm done with her. Just like the doctors. She is fine. Don't tell me you are worried. How very generous of you.", Sebastian replied coldly. He and Ash stared at each other with disgust. 

“You have no right to interfere. The only one who is allowed to make decisions about humans is God.”, Ash spat at Sebastian. Sebastian made a derogatory noise. “You only say that because you are a pastor. In truth, only humans have this right. But that is not the point. You just don't like that I helped her. You would never like what I do, even if I would bring Jesus back to life.”, Sebastian accused him. Ash's eyes widened. "How dare you speak so blasphemously?", he wanted to know and turned to Ciel. "Just don't listen to him, boy.", he demanded, but Sebastian stepped between him and Ciel. "Leave my fiancé alone, you idiot.", he hissed. Ash gasped for air. “You will lead the boy with you on your path? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?”, he wanted to know. "No.", Sebastian replied. 

Ash snorted and gasped in anger. He was overflowing with rage, but didn't know what to say. His fists clenched and the next moment he hit him. He punched Sebastian on the cheek and left a small scratch on it. Sebastian didn't move, he just looked annoyed. "Should I turn the other cheek now?", he wanted to know. Before Ash could hit him a second time, two nurses and a doctor came running up and slipped between Ash and Sebastian. “What are you thinking?!”, the doctor yelled. The nurses got Ash to leave, while the doctor got Sebastian into a room and put a first aid kit in Ciel's hand. 

Ciel took a cotton ball and dripped some disinfectant on it. He carefully dabbed Sebastian's cheek with it. Sebastian hissed and backed away a bit, but Ciel held his chin with two fingers. "Hold still," he said. Carefully he dabbed the drop of blood from Sebastian's skin. “You could have beaten him up. Why didn't you fight back?”, he wanted to know. Sebastian grinned diabolically. “Because I knew we had witnesses. And now that Ash was the only one who punched, nothing prevents me from reporting him for assault.”, he explained and chuckled. "I can give him trouble without using any magic.", he added. Ciel had to laugh too.


	33. newly wed

The wedding took place just a week after Ciel graduated. Ciel was dressed in a beautiful white suit, Sebastian was dressed in black from head to toe. The ceremony was short and the celebration was only held with close friends and family. William was Sebastian's best man, but most of the time he didn't spend at his side, but at Grell's and their little baby's. Lizzy was Ciel's bridesmaid and spent all day talking about how pretty and cute everything was. It was a wonderful day. 

In the evening Sebastian brought Ciel to their home. He carried him bridal style over the doorstep and up into the bedroom while Ciel pressed kisses to Sebastian's cheek. When they entered the bedroom, Ciel gasped in surprise. The floor was full of rose petals, rose quartz and candles stood on the bedside tables and the bedding was covered with silky white sheets. 

Sebastian sat Ciel down on the bed and lit the candles. "I thought, since it is your first time, I should try to make it as good as possible.", he said and took off his jacket. Ciel smiled. He leaned back and watched Sebastian continue undressing. “What a romantic I have for a husband. You're really sweet.”, he said. Sebastian grinned. He climbed on the bed and undressed Ciel like a doll until his young husband lay naked in front of him. All the two still wore were the rings. 

Sebastian took his time to spread kisses on Ciel's chest and neck. He enjoyed the feel of the delicate skin against his lips. He nipped gently at Ciel's neck and made him sigh comfortably. Ciel stretched out under Sebastian and closed his eyes. He let out a soft moan as Sebastian sucked on his neck, leaving a red mark. Sebastian looked at it with satisfaction. Then he kissed a path along Ciel's chest to his stomach and finally to Ciel's thighs, the insides of which he also covered with hickeys. 

Ciel writhed under him and made pleasant sounds. "Take me. Please take me.", he begged without thinking. Sebastian smiled and bit his thigh gently. He got a tube of lube from his bedside table and smeared a generous load of it on his fingers and his cock. Ciel gasped in surprise when he felt Sebastian's fingers inside him. The feeling was strange, but he liked it. When Sebastian pulled his fingers back after a while, Ciel pouted at first, but then Sebastian got into position. 

He pushed his cock into Ciel slowly and hit the right spot on the first attempt, giving Ciel the greatest pleasure. Ciel wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck and held on to him. He bent his legs, his toes curled into the bedspread. Sebastian kissed him gently. He started pulling back from Ciel and thrusting into him again. At first very slowly but gradually faster and faster. Every time he hit Ciel just right. Ciel couldn't stop moaning and begging for more. Sebastian soon made him come. While Ciel called Sebastian's name and spilled his seed between them, Sebastian came inside of him and bit Ciel in the shoulder. 

The two remained completely entwined. At some point Sebastian pulled himself out of Ciel and pulled the covers over both of them. He lay down next to Ciel and pulled him into his arms. "I love you so much.", he whispered to him and kissed his temple. Ciel smiled and snuggled up against him. "I love you too.", he replied. They snuggled close to each other and enjoyed each other's presence. "I want to get you pregnant.", Sebastian mumbled at some point. Ciel raised his eyebrows. "How is that supposed to work?", he asked confused. “I can bewitch you. But only if you want that too.", Sebastian explained. Ciel smiled. “It's really handy to have a witch husband. Do that, bewitch me. We can practice what comes next.”, he replied and pulled Sebastian between his spread legs.


End file.
